A Midnight's Dream
by 9PoisonIvy9
Summary: One night at no.12 Grimmauld place changes their lives forever.It turns out Harry has a sister and this is no ordinary sister.How can she help Hermione,Ron and Harry in the fight? EmmaxGeorge.Spoilers for book 5,6,7
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Harry's sister

Everyone was sitting at the table eating their dinner when there was a knock at the door.

"That'll be Dumbledore. He said he needed to talk to us" said Mrs Weasley and she walked to the door of no. 12, Grimmauld Place.

She came back shortly with Albus Dumbledore and a young girl who looked about fifteen. She was wearing jeans that were ripped at the ends and a plain t-shirt. They also noticed that she wasn't wearing any shoes. She looked a lot like Lilly, though they couldn't tell since she was wearing dark shades and they couldn't see her eyes. She looked worried.

"May I ask, Dumbledore, who is this?" asked Mrs. Weasley, standing with her arms folded and wondering whether she could trust this fifteen year old girl.

"This is Emma," Dumbledore replied, and she gave a shy smile and a wave. "She is another key to getting rid of Voldemort" he added, ignoring everyone who flinched.

"How?" Asked Harry, curious.

"You didn't tell him?" Asked Emma. She turned her head to Dumbledore but then she seemed to realize something because she added "Of course, you of all people.

"Why don't you tell him then Emma?" Suggested Dumbledore.

"I don't think I have a choice in the matter anyway. You're obviously not going to. Harry," She paused for a moment, then said slowly "I'm your sister" she said the last bit and Harry's jaw dropped.

"How..." he asked, unable to complete his question. Emma sighed.

"How long have you kept him in the dark Dumbledore? I thought you told him everything; he does have a right to know! Honestly, you are determined to make my life even more like hell than it already is," She said and then turned to Harry. "When I was about 2 months old, a vampire broke into Mum and Dad's house and kidnapped me. Dumbledore was able to get me back, but I had already changed. I was too dangerous to go back home so he took me into care, and I began to gain control over my thirst for blood. Dumbledore sent a letter to Mum and Dad to explain everything. Soon I went back into their care, but two days later… well, you know. Dumbledore was forced to take me back. I couldn't go with you to Muggle home, Harry, because I still couldn't control my thirst that well and… well… Dumbledore had to put some enchantments on me till I could. I lived at Hogwarts and, when you first came there, I was to keep an eye on you. I am afraid I have put at least one of you under some spell in order to keep you alive and figure it out almost by yourselves." Emma ended her story with a shudder and took off her glasses. Her eyes, instead of being hazel or green, were golden around the pupils. She blinked a couple times, and then stopped altogether.

"So, you're a vampire?" asked Hermione uncertainly.

"Unfortunately, yes" Emma replied.

"When did you put spells on us?" asked Ron almost self-consciously and Emma smiled.

"I put Hermione under one so she would get the book of light, I put an idea in her head so she would know about the serpent, and I also made her want to do extra lessons so she would get the time turner. I put Ron under one when it came to the chess so he had to make the sacrifice, err, I also bewitched the car to come to you whenever you would need it, and I snapped your wand so the spell would backfire on Lockheart. I put Harry under one so he would find that mirror, I also put Professor McGonagall under one so you would be on the Quidditch team because you were really good and it wouldn't do any good if you were expelled. I also made Riddle's diary to show you that memory. Also, I made you fight the Dementors over the lake. I placed a memory in your head. That's about it" she said and then quickly put her glasses back on. She was starting to dazzle George. Little did she know that he was not simply dazzled by her, but he was, in fact, falling in love with her.

Suddenly, her hand flew to her throat with blinding speed. "Dumbledore, I have to go" she whispered and ran out of the room at light speed.

"What was that all about?" asked Fred, looking stunned by her fast movements.

"It's been four days, she has to hunt. She tries to hunt as little as possible because she doesn't like killing the animals. " Dumbledore explained this calmly, as if it were an everyday thing.

"So she drinks animal blood, not human?" asked Mrs. Weasley wearily.

"Yes, she is quite an amazing creature. She hasn't killed a human once, even when she was new," Said Dumbledore as Emma came back in, looking at her feet and walking at human speed.

"There is no need to be embarrassed dear" said Mrs. Weasley kindly and Emma looked up. "You can move in with Hermione" she added and Harry felt Emma's eyes widen.

"You'll let me stay here?" she asked with astonishment.

"Of course, why would you not be welcome?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"Would you like the list in chronological or alphabetical order?" she asked with a faint smile.

"I think I'll skip the list all together" said George.

"It sounds like a long one" Fred added. Emma laughed and nodded.

"Here, I'll show where it is" said Hermione, hopping up. Everyone had abandoned their dinner, and Ron and Harry followed her with Emma trailing behind them.

As they passed the hallway, Sirius's mother starting screeching her head off.

Emma ignored the people who came to shut the curtains and said quite calmly "If you please, Mrs. Black, I would like you to be quiet" and, to everyone's surprise, she stopped screeching.

"Oh course, dear" she said and shut the curtains herself. Emma smiled.

"Thanks" she said and followed the others upstairs, leaving everyone apart from Dumbledore speechless.

When they finally got up all of the stairs and into Hermione's bedroom, the questions started.

"Can you tell us what it's like to be a vampire, please?" said Hermione and Emma nodded.

"Sure, well, for most vampires it's like Christmas came early. I've met a couple of vampire's who hunt more than they need to because they love the taste of human blood. Of course, we still need human food to go into our bodies, but we need the blood to run in our veins. I don't drink human blood because the thought of someone else's life in my veins, it just makes me want to throw up. Also, we can have up to ten extra powers, but this is very rare. Many vampires have none. I am very lucky. I have nine." She smiled slightly.

"What 'extra powers' do you have" asked Ron wearily.

"I can read minds, create a shield to stop most spells from hitting us, I can see people's soul mates, I can see anyone's past, I can see anywhere I want in the present, I can see the future, I can make myself or anyone else invisible, and I can change myself into any animal I want as long as I have seen it firsthand" She replied.

"Ooo, can you change into an animal now please?" asked Hermione.

"Sure" Emma replied and her eyes glazed over. She dropped on her hands and knees and fur was sprouting up all over her body. Soon, where once Emma had been, there was a lioness. She padded over to Hermione and rubbed against her leg with a very loud purr.

Ron laughed and Emma changed back.

Suddenly, there was a crack and everyone but Emma jumped.

"Good evening Fred, George" she said calmly without turning around.

"How did you know it was us?" they asked and she spun around with blinding speed.

"She can see the future!" Ron blurted out and the twins looked amazed.

"It's not that good… " she blushed and George rolled his eyes.

"You seriously don't see yourself clearly" he said but Emma wasn't listening, her eyes were glazed over. At first Harry thought she was going to faint but then she said "Don't go down stairs, Mrs. Weasley is crying again over Percy. Oh, and don't do that. It will only make it worse," she said the last bit to Fred and George.

"What?" asked Harry.

"They were going to tell Mrs. Weasley that Percy was a dingbat and doesn't deserve to be called a Weasley" she said.

"She really is psychic" said Fred in awe.

"Do you have a scar like Harry's?" asked Ron and she nodded. She pulled down her sleeve slightly to reveal the lightning bolt scar on her shoulder.

"Wow" said the Weasleys.

"Not really" she shrugged.

"How come it's there and not on your forehead" Harry asked, slightly annoyed. How come she could hide it and he couldn't?

"Well, Voldemort..." everyone but Harry and Emma gasped at the name but they both ignored it. After all, they were used to it, "… aimed at you first then, he obviously wanted to kill me as well and aimed at me while he faded away."

"Whoa" chorused the twins and Emma smiled weakly. The she frowned.

"No more questions." She said bluntly, clenching her hands into fists.

"Why?" Ron whined.

"Well I need to hunt and don't take this wrong but, you lot smell so unbelievably good," She groaned.

"Not offended!" said Hermione brightly.

"See ya!" Emma said and turned to face the window.

"The window?" asked Harry, taking his brotherly role almost instantly and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Vampire, remember, good at supernatural things" and, with that, she jumped out the window and ran into the night.

**AN: I hope you like this story. Please review!!! **

**Beta: Thank you, Tina Cullen.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

I hate being a vampire

Sometimes Emma wondered what it would be like to dream; and this was just one of those times. Sure, it was cool that she could run around fast, see things humans couldn't and she had superpowers plus the supernatural stuff. Cool huh? But then, there were other things, some things she liked to push back into the back of her mind and just leave there.

She was a monster, no matter what the others said. She killed many things, even if they weren't human. They still were lives and she had taken them, running in her veins. Life just wasn't fare, was it? Why did she have to be cursed and probably curse her new friends and family if she lost control? She had almost lost it back there, in Hermione's bedroom. She could remember every detail and every feeling she had felt. The hunger in her veins and the burn in her throat had felt like nothing she had felt before. Not when she was new, not ever; and it scared her.

She looked down at the now dead animal and waved her wand at the woodland floor so there was a neat hole just big enough for the animal to fit inside, and then she covered it up. Most people would think it silly, and most people would think it sad, but they would never understand what she was going through. Sometimes she wished she could die.

Many people would do anything for eternal life but they don't know what they are asking for. If you couldn't die, you could find out about all the stuff you've been asking all your life. Whether there is heaven or hell, whether there is even an after or life or even if you are reborn into a completely different living thing. Technically she was 17 years old but she wasn't going to tell the adults that.

Finally she was full and she ran back to the house to find everyone had gone to bed. Of course, she didn't need- although sometimes she just wanted to and so she could- sleep so she went into the kitchen and sat down. 3:30am, blimey she was long.

Suddenly, Creature appeared.

"Hello Creature" said Emma, smiling kindly at him.

"Hello Mistress, May I ask why Mistress is so sad" asked Creature.

"Yes, I was just thinking about all the stuff I can do and then all the bad stuff I can do and have just got myself wound up again" she said with a sad smile.

"Creature doesn't think Mistress is a monster" said Creature, looking at her with large, round eyes.

"Thanks Creature" smiled Emma and looked back at the clock. It was 6:00am. The orders of the phoenix and the others should be waking up soon. She hoped up and rummaged in the draws. Finally, she picked up a candle and placed it on the table. She grabbed five more and placed them zigzagging in front of her. Then she sat back down again and stared at their dancing figures. She smile lightly to herself and stared to hum a little tune that their mother used to thing to her and Harry when they were kids. Vampires have excellent memory you see and she could even remember every note, key and word of the song when she was only 1 year old.

"What song are you humming dear?" asked Mrs Weasley, coming into the room.

"Just a song our mother used to sing when we were 1 year old" answered Emma.

"Can I hear it?" asked Mrs Weasley and Emma started to sing:

A gentle breeze from Hushabye Mountain  
softly blows o'er lullaby bay.  
It fills the sails of boats that are waiting  
waiting to sail your worries away.  
It isn't far to Hushabye Mountain  
and your boat waits down by the key.  
The winds of night so softly are sighing  
Soon they will fly your troubles to sea.  
So close your eyes on Hushabye Mountain.  
Wave good-bye to cares of the day  
and watch your boat from Hushabye Mountain  
Sail far away from lullaby bay.

"That's a wonderful song and you have a wonderful voice" said Mrs Weasley with a kind smile.

"Thanks" said Emma. She has never been a person to take complements to the heart. She doesn't know why but it just didn't seem right, for someone like a Mrs Weasley to say a comment like that.

"Um, Mrs Weasley, there are some thing you should know about me" Emma tried to sound light even though this was a serious matter.

"Yes dear?" asked Mrs Weasley, making breakfast.

"If my eyes go red, either run for your life or throw something wood at me. It has to be wood but it has to be wood. Even though I drink animal blood, I am still dangerous. I think it's best if there are at least two people alone with me at least if I am to talk to them. Never leave me alone with someone" Emma closed her eyes, blocking the image of jumping on Mrs Weasley and drinking her blood. Oh, how sweet her blood will taste... shut up Emma.

"I know, Dumbledore explained everything to the order" smiled Mrs Weasley and Emma smiled, careful not to show her teeth. She didn't want to scare Mrs Weasley. Her teeth were now very long and very, very sharp and very, very painful but if it meant that if she hid them, then she would keep Mrs Weasley safe, then it was worth it.

"Here you go dear, eat up" said Mrs Weasley, handing her a plate of bacon, eggs and sausages. "You're just as skinny as Harry, you know" she added and Emma giggled under her breath.

About 5 minutes later, she finished and started to wash up but Mrs Weasley snatched it out of her hands.

"In wash up" she said and Emma sighed.

"Alright, I'll be upstairs if you need me" said Emma and she disappeared in thin air. Well, that is what it looked like to Mrs Weasley. Of course, Emma just ran as fast as she could which was pretty fast.

"That girl..." sighed Mrs Weasley, shaking her head.

**AN: Review please.**

**Beta: Thanks to Tina Cullen, I am getting excellent reviews. **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hogwarts

Emma was just walking through the hall, looking for her shoes. She was excited to go back to Hogwarts again and she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like with Harry and the rest knowing that she was alive and at Hogwarts. Suddenly, she had a vision.

_Fred and George bewitched their trunks to fly downstairs to save the bother of carrying them, with he result that they hurtled straight into Ginny and knocking her down two flights of stairs into the hall, seriously injuring herself on the knee._

Emma ran- though it felt a lot like flying- and caught Ginny before she could hit the floor and seriously hurt herself. Mrs Weasley started to shout at them and Mrs Black's voice were both screaming at the top of their lungs.

"-COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS, YOUR LUCKY EMMA WAS THERE TO CATCH HER-"

"-FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS-"

Emma sighed. She wasn't even going to bother to try and shut her up. They were in a hurry. Sturgis Podmore should be here by now. Not that she was complaining. She didn't see the point in going to King's Cross Station with a guard for her and Harry. What's Voldemort gonna do? Jump out of a bin and do them in? Honestly.

Finally, Harry and Hermione came running down the stairs.

"All right, close your eyes everyone" she shouted over Mrs Black and they all did as they told. Her eyes flashed gold flashed shocking silver and they were all on platform nine and three-quarters, where the Hogwarts Express stood belching sooty steam over a platform packed with departing students and their families.

"You can open your eyes now" she said with a smile, and then she frowned. "Sirius, you shouldn't be here, you know that."

Sirius just barked at her and rolled his eyes.

"I know that but Dumbledore said so" then she sighed and added "Alright, I give up but I promise you it won't be pretty." She raised her eye brows at him, challenging him to contradict her vision but he said nothing.

"Very wise" she commentated and stroked him with a small smile. George was fascinated by her. She seemed always so calm and collected and didn't seem to care that her life was endangered by a mad man called Voldemort. Suddenly, the whistle sounded and everyone started to clamber onto the train.

When they were in the corridor, Fred said, clapping her hands together "well, can't stand around chatting all day, we've got business to discuss with Lee."

"You wanna come, Emma?" asked George, who was starting to like her very much.

"Sure" she grinned and she followed them down the corridor to the right.

Finally, they found Lee and sat themselves down.

"Hey George, Hey Fred. May I ask who this lovely young lady is" he asked, winking at Emma and she giggled. George felt something run hot through his veins. With a jolt, he realised that it was jealousy. Why should he be jealous?

"My name is Emma, Emma Potter" she said and they shook hands.

"Your Harry's sister" said Lee in shock.

"I am if you can keep a secret" she winked and sat herself down.

"Secret is my middle name" chuckled Lee and Emma rolled her eyes.

"Well, don't let me stop your 'businesses" she laughed, sitting back and just listened, not really comprehending.

About half an hour later, she looked at her watch.

"You better get changed into your Hogwarts robes, we will be there soon" she said and tapped her clothes. In an instant they changed into a dress that just reached her knees and was black. It had short sleeves that just past her shoulders and the top half were sparkly.

Lee let out a low whistle and she blushed slightly.

"Whoa, you wear that?" asked Fred in bewilderment.

"Yeah, seen as I'm stuck in Dumbledore's office all this term" she said bitterly and the boys looked at her confused.

"Why?" asked George.

"You'll see. Basically, I'll tell you this, we can't let the ministry or magic find out about me, not yet. Oh, and, don't tell anyone about me, they will learn some time in the future but not right now" she said and hoped through the window towards the forest.

When she reached it, she began to run towards the castle- slightly remembering that this was the very place that Victor Krum was attacked- and ran through the secret passage into Dumbledore's office.

"Sorry I'm late Dumbledore" she called through the office and almost ran straight into him.

"That's quite all right" said Dumbledore pleasantly and Emma smiled.

"What am I learning today" she asked eagerly and Dumbledore chuckled.

"You seem eager to learn, more than I say about other students here at Hogwarts" he said and handed her a book of defence spells. "I think you'll be able to teach yourself now." Emma nodded and got to work reading the book. It was pretty thick with 1,976 pages but she was a fast reader and had read it in half an hour.

She sighed and put it down. She was going to the feast, she might as well. She quickly waved her wand so she was wearing some robes and hurried as fast as she could to the feast. She was lucky enough to find Hermione, Harry and Ron walking into the hall together.

"Hey" she said, slowing down to a human walk.

"Hi, I didn't think you were going to join us" said Hermione and Emma grinned.

"I changed my mind. There's something that is going to happen at the feast that I would actually like to hear myself" she said mysteriously.

"I guess we'll find out soon enough" chuckled Harry and Emma nodded.

"Hagrid hasn't left; he's just late from a mission. Of course, I can't tell you about that though you'll find out later" Emma muttered to them so no-one could hear. She hated the fact that she had to keep everything she knew from them but she had no choice.

As they seated themselves down, Hermione said sharply "who's that?" Emma rolled hers and let them figure it out for themselves.

"It's that Umbridge woman!" Harry whispered.

"Who?"

"She was at my hearing, she works for Fudge!"

"Nice cardigan" said Ron, smirking and Emma rolled her eyes again. Of course Ronnald Weasley would say a comment like that.

She watched as the first years walked through the doors and thoroughly wished that she could have done that five years ago.

That was when the hat burst into song:

_In times of old when I was new_

_And Hogwarts barely started_

_The founders of our noble school_

_Thought never be parted:_

_United by a common goal_

_They had the selfsame yearning_

_To make the world's best magic school_

_And pass along their learning_

_Together we will build and teach!_

_The four good friends decided_

_And never did they dream that they_

_Might someday be divided_

_For were there such friends anywhere_

_As Slytherin and Gryffindor?_

_Unless it was the second pair_

_Of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw_

_So how could it have gone wrong?_

_How could such friendship fail?_

_Why, I was there and so can tell_

_The whole sad tale_

_Said Slytherin 'We'll teach just those_

_Whose ancestry is purest.'_

_Said Ravenclaw 'We'll teach just those whose_

_Intelligence is surest.'_

_Said Gryffindor 'We'll teach all those_

_With brave deeds in their name'_

_Said Hufflepuff 'I'll teach the lot_

_And treat them just the same._

_These differences caused little stifle_

_When first they came to light_

_For each of the founders had_

_A house in which they might_

_Take only those they wanted, so,_

_For instance, Slytherin_

_Took only pure-blood wizards_

_Of great cunning, just like him_

_And only those of sharpest mind_

_Were taught by Ravenclaw_

_While the bravest and boldest_

_Went to daring Gryffindor_

_Good Hufflepuff, she took the rest,_

_And taught them all she knew_

_Thus the houses and their founders_

_Retained friendship firm and true_

_So Hogwarts worked in harmony_

_For several happy year_

_But then discord crept among us_

_Feeding on our faults and fears_

_The houses that, like pillars four_

_Had once held up our school_

_Must meet an early end_

_What with duelling and with fighting_

_And clash of friend on friend_

_And at last there came a morning_

_When old Slytherin departed_

_And though the fighting then died out_

_He left us quite downhearted_

_And never since the founders four_

_Were whistled down to three_

_Have the houses been united_

_As they once were meant to be_

_And now the sorting hat is here_

_And you all know the score:_

_I sort you into houses_

_Because that is what I'm for_

_But this year I'll go further_

_Listen closely to my song:_

_Though condemned I am to spilt you_

_Still I worry that it's wrong_

_Though I must fulfil my duty_

_And must quarter every year_

_Still I wonder whether the sorting_

_May not bring the end I fear_

_Oh, know the perils, read the signs_

_The warning history shows_

_For our Hogwarts is in danger_

_From external, deadly foes_

_And we must unite inside her_

_Or we'll crumble from within_

_I have told you, I have warned you..._

_Let the Sorting begin._

Emma frowned as she clapped. This can't be right. Of course, she wasn't an expert but since when did the sorting hat give warnings; and why now? What happened to the warning that was supposed to happen in two years time when she, Harry, Ron and Hermione were of finding the rest of Voldemort?

She was puzzling over this when suddenly she realised the feast had begun and she began to eat.

"What were you saying before the Sorting?" Hermione asked and Emma sighed. This was going to be interesting.

"I have heard the Hat gives several warnings before, always at times when it detects periods of great danger for the school. And always, of course, its advice is the same: stand together, be strong from within" answered Nearly Headless Nick.

"Ow kunnit nofe skusin danger ifzat?" said Ron. Emma and Hermione gave him a revolted look.

"I beg your pardon?" said Nearly Headless Nick politely. Emma grimaced

"I think the best translation from hungry Ron language is 'How can it know if the school's in danger if it's a Hat? Honestly, did Mrs Weasley ever tell you not to speak with your mouth full" Emma scolded him and he rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, loads of times" he muttered.

"In answer to your question, I have no idea" said Nearly Headless Nick. "Of course, it lives in Dumbledore's office, so I daresay it picks things up there."

"Yeah, so do I. It's not always fun." Emma grumbled, and then brightened up instantly. "Ah well, at least I can come out now."

"Why were in there?" asked Nearly Headless Nick curiously.

"I'm Harry's sister" she said offhandedly with a shrug.

"So there are two chosen ones?" asked Nearly Headless Nick, surprised.

"Uh-huh" she nodded.

"Well, it's nice to meet you then Miss Potter" he said and bowed to his head. She smiled.

"It's nice to meet you two Sir Nicholas" she said and actually shook his hand.

"I don't suppose your gonna tell us how you did that, huh?" asked Ron incredulously.

"Nope" Emma winked and carried on eating. She listened to Ron insult Nick and him and Hermione bicker. Harry didn't bother saying anything so Emma decided to comment on it.

"You two bicker like an old marry couple. I wouldn't be surprised if you two started dating" she chuckled. They both turned scarlet and suddenly became so interested in their food. Harry chuckled quietly.

When they had all finished their food, Dumbledore stood up and the whole room went quiet.

"Well, now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual start-of-term notices" said Dumbledore. "First-years ought to know that the Forest in the grounds is out-of-bonds to students- and a few of our older students ought to know by now too." (Emma, Harry, Ron and Hermione smirked at each other knowingly.)

"Mr Flinch, the caretaker, had asked me, for what he tells me is the hour-hundred-and-sixty-second time..."

"He's counting" Emma giggled and the laughed quietly.

"...to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr Flinch's door.

We have two changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubby-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons; we are also delighted to introduce Professor Umbridge, our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

There was a round of polite but fairly unenthusiastic applause. Emma rolled her eyes. This was going to be interesting.

Dumbledore continued "Tryouts for the house Quidditch teams will take place on the..."

He broke off, looking at Professor Umbridge. She gave a quiet little "Hem, hem." It was clear she wanted to make a speech.

Emma made a strange hissing noise. "No-one interrupts Dumbledore, ever. So rude" she almost growled and Harry put a hand on her knee warningly.

"Thank you Headmaster, for those kind words of welcome." Emma hated her already. "Well, it is lovely to be back at Hogwarts, I must say!" she smiled, continuing. "And to see such happy little faces looking up at me.

Emma and Harry glanced around. None of the faces they could see looked happy. In fact, they all looked a little offended at me at being addressed as though they were five years old.

Emma listened to her speech patiently but was very bored. Though she found it very illuminating.

"Well, that explained a lot" said Hermione.

"I agree" Emma nodded. The boys looked at them as if they had just grown two heads.

"Did it, it sounded like a load of waffle to me" said Harry in surprise. Emma shook her head.

"There was some important stuff hidden in the waffle" said Hermione said grimly.

"How about: "progress for progress's sake must be discouraged"? How about: pruning wherever we find practices that ought to be prohibited."

"The Ministry of Magic is interfering at Hogwarts" they both said together. Harry and Ron looked at them strangely.

"What?" asked Emma.

"Your worse than Fred and George" said Ron shaking his head.

"Do my ears deceive me, is someone worse than us?" asked Fred coming up to them.

"Emma and Hermione. They know exactly what each other is going to say before they actually say it" said Ron and Emma and Hermione exchanged glances.

"Uh-huh, yeah right. Hermione, Ron, your suppose to show the first years the way to their dormitory you know" Emma reminded them.

"Oh yeah, Oy, you, midgets" Ron said. Hermione shook her head at him.

"First years, this way please" she called and shy first-years followed her and Ron to the dormitories with Harry trailing gloomily behind them. Emma muttered under her breath and the boys chuckled.

"Why don't you walk with us" Fred offered and Emma laughed.

"Sure, I swear Ron and Hermione will become lovers someday" she shook her head as they walked.

"I wonder if they will" laughed George.

"I think probable will" Fred added.

"Well, I've gotta go to Dumbledore's office. See you boys latter" she said with a wink and skipped of.

She sighed as she was out of sight and her smile slide of her face like Stinksnap. She really liked George but she knew they could never a... item. For one, he would be made an outcast from her kind and her with him. Also, she was very dangerous and was completely different. Plus, there was no way on planet earth could he fancy a monster like her. She sighed again and plastered a smile back on her face. She had a feeling it was going to be a very long night.

"You like her" said Fred simple as they watched Emma go round the corner and George looked alarmed.

"No" he said a bit too quickly.

"Come one, I've seen the way you look at her" said Fred, nudging him.

"Fine, but am I that obvious? I mean, do you think she knows? I don't want to look like a fool" said George.

"Don't worry, I don't think she did and don't worry, I won't tell anyone" he grinned as they climbed through the dormitory door.

George had a feeling it was going to be a long, long night.

**Please review. It will make me so happy. Do you think I'm rushing it with Emma and George? Please let me know by clicking on the review button! **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Professor Umbridge

Emma woke up the next morning in a glum spirit. She had to watch Professor Umbridge teach today and it just wasn't fare. Professor Dumbledore knew how much she hated that fowl woman and yet he forces her to listen to her teach. IT JUST WASN'T FARE. Then again, she reminded herself for what seemed millionth time in her whole life, life just isn't fare. You don't always get what you want and that's a fact.

On the plus side, she was going to see her teach Fred and George's class. She did hope that she didn't distract any of them from their work though, they needed to learn. Jesus Christ, she was starting to sound like teachers and Hermione all put together. That was never a good sign. Never, ever, ever, ever.

She put on, not even bothering to use magic this time, a pair on black, skinny jeans and a red top that had sequins at the top. She checked herself in her full length mirror and set off at human speed, not really in a hurry. I mean, who would? Okay, other than the Slytherin... and Ministry kissers. Anyone who does is creepy.

When she had reached the room of the class room, she paused and tapped on the door. A girlish voice called "Come in" and she opened the door. This was not what Emma wanted to see as she opened the door. What she wanted to see was people laughing as they try out hexes and defensive spells, not people hard at work on desks, reading a damn book.

"Ah, Miss Potter, yes, I got your note, please sit down" said Professor Umbridge, gesturing to a hard, wooden seat next to her desk. Emma quietly sat down and fixed her eyes on Professor Umbridge, trying to get even ounce of information she could get. It wasn't easy but she was getting there.

She got out a clipboard and began to write.

_Teacher: Professor Jane Umbridge_

_Subject: Defence Against the Dark Arts- A Return to Basic Principles_

She began to take notes on her teaching and stuff like that. She kept noticing people glance up at her every now and then. She knew that they knew that she was Harry Potter's sister and that there was another chosen one. She involuntarily sighed. This new will be half way round the school by lunch time. She would bet anything that Dumbledore wanted the students to know so that they would try to believe that Voldemort was back or, at least, except that they were in danger by some evil magic. That at the very least. She muttered under her breath in a language they didn't know and she knew it confused them. Professor Umbridge didn't like it but she also didn't like the fact that it would bring attention to Emma as well which was great. She also made a mental list of what Professor Umbridge wanted and thought:

_She thinks Dumbledore is creating an army to take down the ministry of magic._

_She thinks that by teaching them this stuff, they won't be able to do that_

_She wants to stop Dumbledore from taking over the ministry_

_She wants to show everyone that Voldemort hasn't returned even though really deep down she knows that he has_

_She doesn't want the minister to be angry with her_

_She has a horrible punishment that I can't quite find out._

Emma sighed and stood up. She said politely "That will be all, Professor Umbridge, if you don't mind." She frowned and added "It doesn't seem to be doing them any good though."

"Of course it is dear, but you of course wouldn't understand because you are a mere child and this is adult stuff" said Professor Umbridge.

"Well, if it is adult stuff then you better stop because you are nowhere near mature enough to be teaching this stuff" said Emma coldly, glaring, finally losing her temper with this evil toad.

"How dare you" she said, glaring back.

"I dare because I can tell you this, Voldemort is back and he is getting stronger. Why can't you believe that? Dumbledore isn't trying to bring down the ministry, you old hag" she said and stalked out of the room, leaving Professor Umbridge stunned. She hear the class start to clap and Professor Umbridg's shrill "Get back to your work." Well, at least Emma had made someone happy, that was a start.

She burst into Dumbledore's office, red faced with anger.

"My dear Emma, what is the matter?" asked Dumbledore, shocked and surprised.

"How can you hire that old had. Do you know what she is teaching those children?" she stormed.

"No" he said, humouring her.

"She isn't teaching them anything. She has them sitting at their desk, wands away, taking notes form a text book and reading about 'A Return to Basic Principles.' Where is the defence in that?" she asked and Dumbledore shook his heads.

"We need her here so we can get information on the Ministry of Magic" he said Calmly.

Emma sighed and said reluctantly "I suppose so."

"What did you find out?" asked Dumbledore. Then chuckled and added "Other than she is an old hag I mean." Emma couldn't help but laugh to.

"Well she thinks you are creating an army to take down the ministry of magic. She thinks that by teaching them this stuff, the students won't be able to do that, fat chance there anyway. She wants to stop you from taking over the ministry. She wants to show everyone that Voldemort hasn't returned even though really deep down she knows that he has. She doesn't want the minister to be angry with her. She has a horrible punishment that I can't quite find out" she said it in all in one breath and took in a lungful of air, not that she needed it much. She was a vampire of course.

"Thank you Emma, you can go do whatever it was you were going to do" said Dumbledore and Emma smiled.

"See yuh" she said and ran up into her room. She quickly changed her top to a black one, the same make, and ran to meet Ron, Hermione and Harry outside of their lesson.

When they came out, they didn't look very happy at all.

"All ready had Umbridge than" Emma mused out loud and they all nodded.

"Yeah, do you know what she got us to do?" asked Ron angrily.

"Take notes from a text book called 'A Return to Basic Principles. She also gave Harry a detention for telling the truth" she said, looking it to their past.

"Yeah, how did you know?" asked Ron wearily.

"Vampire, remember?" she reminded him.

"Oh yeah" he said and they headed off to lunch. Emma tried to block out the whispers that were all around.

"That's her, next to Potter..."

"Potter actually has a sister!"

"She seems too hot to be related to him..."

"I wonder if she is as insane as he is..."

"They found out about you then?" asked Harry as they sat down and Emma nodded.

"I do wish they would stop this whispering, it's getting on my nerves, not to mention yours as well" muttered Hermione to them as the whispers carried on. Emma and Harry nodded.

"What I don't get" said Harry through what seemed like clenched teeth "is why they all believed te story two months ago when Dumbledore told them...

"The thing is, Harry, I'm not sure they did" said Hermione grimly.

"Oh, let's get out of here" groaned Emma and she, Harry, Ron and Hermione almost ran out of the hall, leaving the staring people behind.

When they got into the common room, they all sat down in the comfy chairs.

"What do you mean you're not sure they believed Dumbledore" Harry asked Hermione and Emma sighed having already figured it out.

"Look, you don't understand was it was like after it happened" said Emma quietly. "You arrived back in the middle of the lawn clutching Cedric's dead boys, wand out... none of us saw what happened in the maze... we just had Dumbledore's word for it that you-know-who had come back and killed Cedric and fought you."

"Which is the truth!" said Harry loudly.

"We know Harry, stop trying to bite our heads off" grumbled Hermione. "It's just that before the truth could sink in, everyone went home for the summer, where they spent two months reading about how you're a nutcase and Dumbledore's going senile!"

Suddenly, it started to rain. Of course, it had to rain. It always seemed to rain when ever everyone felt really down in the dumps. Emma gazed out into space for a couple of minutes. Then she sighed, Hermione was having a go at Fred and George again.

"Hermione, I'm keeping an eye on them, don't worry. Anyway, if do something that could harm someone, I'll tell their mother" she said soothingly and guided her back to her seat. Then she sent a warning glare at Fred and George who gulped.

"Thank you for your support, Ron" said Hermione acidly.

"You handled it fine by yourself" Ron mumbled.

Hermione stared down at her blank piece of parchment for a few seconds, then said edgily "Oh, it's no good, I can't concentrate no2. I'm going to bed."

"I'm going back to Dumbledore's office, he might have something for me to do that is interesting through the night" grumbled Emma and she got out of the Gryffindor common room.

Emma was so bored she was skipping around her bed room grumbling to herself. She really, really, really hated the Ministry. They were making her life harder than Dumbledore was. Sure she respected Dumbledore and he was like the father she would have wanted with James but, of course, he could never replace James. Never! But he can be downright scripted and annoying sometimes. When was he going to tell Harry everything?

"When he's old enough!" he had said. When was that? As far as Emma was concerned Harry was ready when he was when he was 13 but no, Dumbledore loved him too much to tell him.

She sighed. Harry and Emma must have finished their lesson by now. She ran down to the field, they were having Care of Magical creatures so she knew they would be coming back.

"Hey" she said, slowing down to a walk.

"Hi" they chorused.

Just then, the door of the nearest greenhouse opened and some fourth years spilled out of it, including Ginny.

"Hi" she said brightly as she passed. A few seconds after her, Luna Lovegood emerged. Luna took a great breath and then aid, without so much as a preliminary hello "I believe He Who Must Not Be Names is back and I believe you fought him and escaped from him. I also think that you are really Harry's sister because you have the same scare on your shoulder and I believe that you can do it!"

"Err, right" muttered Harry, not sure what exactly to say. Luckily, though, Emma came to the rescue.

"Thank you, Luna that means a lot to us" she said with a warm smile. Luna smiled back at her.

"You're welcome" she said and ran after Ginny.

A few seconds later, Ernie Macmillan stepped up to him.

"I want you to know, Potters" he said in aloud, carrying voice, "that it's not only weirdoes who support you. I personally believe you one hundred per cent. My family have always stood firm behind Dumbledore, and so do I."

"Err" said Emma, slide-glancing at Harry.

"Thanks, Ernie" said Harry. They were both taken aback but please.

As they were just about to enter the great hall, a loud and angry voice yelled "Oi, Potter!"

"What not?" Harry muttered wearily, turning to face Angelina Johnson, who looked as though she was in a towering temper.

Emma sighed and sat herself down, ignoring what was happening behind her. She really wasn't in the mood.

Emma watched at five, as Harry left the great hall at five and felt as if something was wrong.

"See you later" she murmured to Hermione and Ron and quietly followed Harry to Umbridg's office. There she waited until he came out.

When he did come out, she grabbed his hand.

"Hey" he said, hissing in pain.

"Sorry" she said sympathetically. She looked at his hand, examining it.

"It's nothing" he said, noticing her worried look.

"That cow, no this is not alright. She is abusing you" she scolded.

"All right, all right, but don't tell Ron and Hermione. Please" he begged. She glared at him for a minute or two, and then nodded, letting go of his now throbbing hand.

By Thursday, Harry's wound had been cut open so much that it just wouldn't heal. They caught Ron with trying out for the Quidditch keeper and that was when Harry told him.

Emma was so sympathetic that she did some of his homework for him.

By Friday, the wound was dripping with blood. Emma decided that she would have to tell Dumbledore soon, and fast.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

I feel like a child and a monster

Emma felt terrible, like a monster. She didn't know what to do and there was no one she could talk to about it. She had killed many and last night she caught herself daydreaming about kissing George. If only... no Emma, you and him can't go together. It's a fact, live with it. Remember, life isn't fare.

She slipped into an empty classroom and sat on one of the desks, sighing to herself. She waved her wand and one of the candles lit up. She smiled softly at the dancing flame. It was so free, so beautiful and so graceful. She decided to look into the future for anything interesting.

_Fleur and Bill get married. A happy family but Mrs Weasley isn't happy. Hermione and Ginny don't like her. Ginny keeps calling her Phlegm._

_Harry finally realises that Cho isn't the one for him and starts to love Ginny. He wants to ask her out but is too skittish. She might just have to help him along with that._

_Ron gets poisoned after he got fed love potion by accident on his birthday. Not one of his lucky birthdays. _

Emma started to tap on the table and smiled. She tapped the tune again.

"Good one" she murmured. She began to hum a tune to the rhythm and soon she had some music. She rummaged around in the class room and found a spare quill and parchment. She was sure the teacher who used this class room wouldn't mind- though she was sure it hadn't been used in a long time due to the amount of dust that covered everywhere- and began to write a song. Dumbledore always said it was a good idea to write down your feelings if you can't tell anyone. That way they are not cooped up inside you, like a bomb waiting to go off at the slightest sign of weakness.

When she had finished, her song looked like this:

The secret side of me, I never let you see  
I keep it caged but I can't control it  
So stay away from me, the beast is ugly  
I feel the rage and I just can't hold it

It's scratching on the walls, in the closet, in the halls  
It comes awake and I can't control it  
Hiding under the bed, in my body, in my head  
Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin  
I must confess that I feel like a monster  
I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun  
I must confess that I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster  
I, I feel like a monster

My secret side I keep hid under lock and key  
I keep it caged but I can't control it  
'Cause if I let him out he'll tear me up, break me down  
Why won't somebody come and save me from this, make it end?

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin  
I must confess that I feel like a monster  
I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun  
I must confess that I feel like a monster

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin  
I must confess that I feel like a monster  
I, I feel like a monster  
I, I feel like a monster

It's hiding in the dark, it's teeth are razor sharp  
There's no escape for me, it wants my soul, it wants my heart  
No one can hear me scream, maybe it's just a dream  
Maybe it's inside of me, stop this monster

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin  
I must confess that I feel like a monster  
I hate what I've become, the nightmare's just begun  
I must confess that I feel like a monster

I feel it deep within, it's just beneath the skin  
I must confess that I feel like a monster  
I've gotta lose control, he something radical  
I must confess that I feel like a monster

I, I feel like a monster  
I, I feel like a monster  
I, I feel like a monster  
I, I feel like a monster

She sung it to herself quietly.

"Now that is not a nice way to see you" said Fred, him and George seeming to appear out of nowhere, and Emma jumped, falling off the table.

"Whoa, careful" said George, catching her. She blushed as she felt the shock ran through her to him. She and George completely missed the smirk that flashed across Fred's face; they were so intent on each other.

"You made me jump" she said, sitting back down gingerly on the table.

"We noticed" they chorused.

"Uh-huh, so what brings you here? Skiving again?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yeah, well, we wanted somewhere to carry on with our Nosebleed Nougat. We're trying to find an antidote to it. What are you going to do, turn is in?" said Fred. Emma sighed and shook her head. She hoped down from the table and ran over to the cupboard behind her. She rummaged around in there for about a minute and then found what she was looking for.

"A-ha, I knew I saw it here earlier. Add a couple of drops to the sweet and it will turn blue, presuming the cause is purple" she said, throwing it at George and he caught it neatly.

"Thanks" he said.

"Opps, I forgot something. I'll be back in two ticks" said Fred with a grin and ran out the door leaving Emma and George staring after him dumbly.

"Wanna bet he did that on purpose" said Emma shaking her head.

"I'd take that bet any day" he agreed and sat down on the table. Emma copied him.

There was an uncomfortable silence broken by Emma asking "so, how did you get enough money to pay for all of this stuff. I mean, it can't have been easy, could it?"

"Well, that was down to your brother. He decided that he didn't want his Triwizard winnings and so he gave it to us" he said, then blushed slightly. "I wasn't supposed to say that." Emma laughed, to his surprise.

"Don't worry, I won't tell a single sole apart from my owl and my lunch" she laughed, putting her hand on her heart. He joined in with her laughter, whishing he could hear it more often. He enjoyed her laugh. It sound so opening and bright and a little bit like bells.

Suddenly, Emma sighed and her face darkened.

"What's wrong?" asked George, wishing he could get her smiling again.

"Would you understand if I said I felt like a child and a monster?" asked Emma.

"Sort of seen as I always feel like a child all the time. I don't see how you're a monster though" he frowned at her. "Explain?" he asked and she nodded.

"I kill many things, I could kill you now. I don't like that and that need that burns in my veins for your blood, it's almost unbearable" she didn't think she was going a very good job explaining but he seemed to understand.

"And yet you haven't killed me. A monster kills for the hell of it, you kill to survive. That's something completely different" he said.

"I suppose so" she said, seeming to see the bright side again. He smiled. "But, like you said, I haven't killed you. But I could slip up."

He smirked. "Uh-huh" he said and started tickling. She giggled and thrashed about trying to get away from his merciless hands but he held on to her tight.

"Argh, stop, ha, ha" she squealed.

"Not until you say please" he said.

"P-please" she gasped and he chuckled, letting her go. Big mistake. She began tickling him. He began laughing. Soon they both feel onto the laughing.

"Whoops" George murmured and froze. They were on the floor, one on top of each other.

"Sorry" she blushed, quickly getting up and helped him up too.

That was when Fred came back into the room and Emma's mask was back on.

"Sorry" he said, seeming breathless. "I couldn't find it. turns out it was under the bed in one of George's socks, you believe it."

"Yes I can actually; I probably could have saved the time and just told you where it was but you were of like a rocket before I could even say a word. Anyway, I'll see you guys around sometime" she with a small, shy smile and left.

"So, did you tell her how you feel?" asked Fred, sitting down on a table and George threw him a look, annoyed.

"We were right, you did leave us alone on purpose" he said, shaking his head.

"Hey, it's about time you found someone your type. You better hurry up though, because I must say most of the boys in the school are going to notice her and she is a nice piece of work" he nodded appreciating. George made a sound that sounded like a growl. Fred laughed. "I'm just stating the obvious."

"Uh-huh" said George and they set to work on the Joke shop.

**I hope this is okay. **

**Thanks for the reviews guys. I really appreciate it. **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Percy's letter

Emma woke up in her bedroom the next morning. She lay there for a moment and then got up, heading towards Gryffindor Tower. When she had entered, she saw Harry sitting comfortably on his favourite chair, with a piece of parchment on his lap and his quill ready to write. She knew he wanted to write to Sirius but didn't know what to write without the Ministry knowing everything.

She walked quietly over and said quietly "let me help."

He nodded and handed it to her. She frowned, and then began to write in her fairly curly writing:

_Dear Snuffles,_

_Hope you're OK, the first week back here's been terrible, I'm really glad it's the weekend._

_We've got a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Umbridge. She's nearly as nice as your mum. I'm writing because that thing Harry wrote to you about last summer happened again last night when he was doing detention with Umbridge. Harry keeps losing his temper which is pretty annoying sometimes._

_We're all missing our biggest friend; we hope he'll be back soon._

_Please write back quickly._

_Best wishes_

_Harry & Emma_

She handed it to Harry and he read it several times, trying to see it from the point of view of an outsider. Neither Harry nor Emma could see how they would know what they were talking about- or who they were talking to- just from reading the letter which was good.

"Thanks" he said, pocketing it.

"Glade to be of a service" Emma grinned.

They both went down to the Owlery. When they got there, they looked around for Hedwig and spotted her somewhere near the very top of the vaulted ceiling.

"There you are" called Harry. "Get down here; I've got a letter for you."

With a low hoot she stretched her great white wings and soared down on to his shoulder. She gave a pointed look at Emma and seemed to look at Harry for an explanation.

"This is Emma, my sister" he said and Emma gave a small smile. Hedwig seemed to understand for she flew onto Emma's shoulder and rubbed her head against hers before flying back onto Harry's again. Harry and Emma chuckled.

"I think she likes you" said Harry, attaching the letter to Hedwig's leg.

"I think she does" said Emma with a nod.

"Safe flight" chorused Harry and Emma and Hedwig gave them a look before taking off.

Just then, the Owlery door opened behind them. Harry leapt in shock and, turning quickly, saw Cho Chang holding a letter and a parcel in her hands.

"Hi" said Harry automatically.

"Oh... hi" she said breathlessly. "I didn't think anyone would be up here this early... I only remembered five minutes ago, it's my mum's birthday."

She held up the parcel and only then did she take in the fact that Emma was standing next to him.

"Hi Emma" she said.

"Hey Cho, I better be going, I have homework for Dumbledore. I was supposed to do it last night but I was strangely attack by a flock of owls" she said causally. Harry felt a wave of gradated to Emma for letting him spend some alone time with Cho. He also had reminder of Dumbledore and his funny excuses. This thought almost made him laugh.

Emma smiled as she felt Cho's and Harry's eyes on her back. She wished Harry would get over Cho because she couldn't wait to see him and Ginny together. Of course, Harry and Cho were cute together but it wasn't destiny and she hated waiting.

She went down to the Great Hall and waited there. Soon Hermione and Ron arrived.

"Where's Harry?" asked Ron, sitting down and helping himself to some toast.

"He's sending a letter to snuffles, scripted" she added, noticing Hermione's worried look. She deliberately left out about Harry and Cho that was Harry's business and Harry's business only. They didn't need to know unless Harry told them himself, she wasn't about to do it any time soon at least.

As Harry sat down, Harry said brightly "Morning" to Ron, Hermione and Emma.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" said Ron, eyeing Harry in surprise.

"Erm... Quidditch later" said Harry happily, pulling a large platter of bacon and eggs towards him. Emma pretended to have a coughing fit to cover up her laughing at Harry's bad excuse. They all seemed to have brought it because Hermione began patting her back.

"Thanks" she murmured, before eating again.

"Listen... you don't fancy going out a bit earlier with me, do you? Just to- err- give me some practice before training? So I can, you know, get my eye in a bit."

Emma felt a wave of sympathy for Ron. He was nervous even though he wasn't showing it.

"Yeah, OK" said Harry.

"Don't forget, I'll be there. I've never seen you two play before so this should be fun" Emma smiled.

"Oh yeah" said Harry in surprise. He felt like he had known her forever.

Just then, the post came and, as usual, the _Daily Prophet _was soaring towards Hermione. Hermione scanned the front page.

"Anything interesting?" said Ron. Harry and Emma grinned, knowing Ron was keen to keep her off the subject of homework.

"No" she sighed. "Wait a moment... oh no... Sirius!"

"What happened?" asked Harry urgently. Emma read her mind and relaxed slightly. At least it wasn't too bad. At least their only think he's hiding in London and not caught him. That would be terrible, especially when he is innocent.

She looked at the _Daily Prophet _again and noticed something. So did Harry.

"Hey" he said, pointing at it. "Look at this."

"No" said Emma, "Look... this little piece here..."

Ron and Hermione bent closer to read it; the item was barely an inch long and placed right at the bottom of a column. It was headlined:

_TRESPASS AT MINISTRY_

_Sturgis Podmore, 38, of number two, Laburnum Gardens, Clapham, has appeared in front of the Wizengamot charged with trespass and attempted robbery at the Ministry of Magic on 31__st__ August. Podmore was arrested by Ministry of Magic watchwizard Eric Munch, who found him attempting to force his way through a top security door at one o'clock in the morning. Podmore, who refused o speak in his own defence, was convicted on both charges and sentenced to six months in Azkaban._

"Sturgis Podmore?" said Ron slowly. "He's that bloke who looks like his head's been thatched, isn't he? He's one of the Order.."

"Ron, Shh" said Hermione and Emma.

"Six months in Azkaban!" whispered Harry, shocked. "Just for trying to get through a door!"

"A top security door" Emma corrected automatically.

"And it wasn't just for trying to get though a door. What on earth was he doing at eh Ministry of Magic at one o'clock in the morning?" breathed Hermione.

"Do you reckon he was doing something for the Order?" Ron muttered.

"Hold the phone..." said Emma slowly. "Sturgis was suppose to come and see us off, remember?"

The other three looked at her.

"Yea, he was supposed to be part of our guard going to King's Cross, remember? And Moody was all annoyed because he didn't turn up; so he couldn't have been on a job for them, could he?" said Harry and they nodded in agreement.

"It could be a frame-up!" Ron exclaimed excitedly. "No- listen!" he went on, dropping his voice dramatically at the threatening look on Hermione's face. "The Ministry suspects he's one of Dumbledore's lot so- I dunno- they lured him to the Ministry, and he wasn't trying to get through the door at all! Maybe they've just made something up to get him!"

Emma considered it and then shook her head. Though Hermione didn't agree with her.

"I would have seen it that goes under the category of in danger" she said.

Emma, Harry and Ron made their way to the pitch.

"Have you got your own broom then?" asked Ron as they got to the pitch.

"Yeah, a Firebolt" she said and summoned it. She jumped up, arching, and caught it.

"Wow" said Ron in amazement. They mounted their brooms and sped off.

Afterwards, they dismounted and Ron and Harry headed off to the hanging rooms to change with Emma trailing along behind.

"All right, Ron?" said George, winking at him.

"Yeah" said Ron, who had become quieter and quieter all the way down to the pitch.

"Ready to show us all up, Ickle Prefect?" said Fred, emerging tousle-haired from the neck of his Quidditch robes, a slightly malicious grin on his face.

"Oh shut up you two, I swear your three years old" said Emma, casting a worried look at Ron. George heart sank but he tried to ignore it and busied himself with his shoes.

"OK, everyone" said Angelina, entering from the Captain's office, already changed. "Let's get to it; Alicia and Fred, if you can just bring out the ball crate for us. Oh and there are a couple of people out there watching but I want you to just ignore them, all right?"

Something in her would-be casual voice made Harry and Emma think they might know who the uninvited spectres were, and sure enough, when they left the changing room for the bright sunlight of the pitch it was to a storm of catcalls and jeers from the Slytherin Quidditch team and assorted hangers-on, who grouped halfway up the empty stands and whose voices echoed around the stadium.

"What's that Wesley's riding?" Malfoy called in his sneering drawl. "Why would anyone put a flying charm on a mouldy old log like that?"

Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson guffawed and shrieked with laughter. Ron mounted his broom and kicked off from the ground and Harry followed him, watching his ears turn red from behind.

"Ignore them" he said, accelerating to catch up with Ron "we'll see who's laughing after we play them..."

Emma listened to the Slytherin laughing and shrieking insults at them as they played. Finally, she had enough "SHUT UP!" she shouted at them.

The Slytherin stopped immediately and turned to look at her.

"Ah, look, it's Potter. Just because you're the chosen one doesn't mean you're a hero" sneered Parkinson and Emma's eyes turned a shocking silver. BANG! One of the chairs tripped them all up and started to hit them. They ran as if the hounds were after them.

"Well done Emma" cheered the twins and Emma smiled faintly though they could see it was forced.

"See yuh" she waved half-heartily and ran off.

"What's up with her?" asked George and they all shrugged before carrying on with practise.

They were right, the Slytherin team were right. She was no hero and she'll never be. Why did it take hem telling her this for her to see that? These questions kept popping in her head as she headed for the Gryffindor Tower- this was becoming a habit now- and sat down next to Hermione and Ginny who were talking merrily about what they would do to Snape if they could get away with it. Emma didn't know what they all had against Snape; he was always kind to her. Though this might have something to do with the fact that he is in love with her mum and Emma looked a lot like her.

"What's the matter?" asked Hermione, noticing Emma's troubled look.

Emma sighed. She might as well tell them. She told them all about what happened down at the pitch and they listened to everything she said without interrupting.

"You are a hero!" said Ginny firmly once she had finished.

"And a monster" said Emma grimly.

"No you're not. Monsters kill for fun, you kill for survival" said Hermione and Emma didn't have anything to say to that. She dimly remembered George saying something like that... well, on the same lines anyway.

"Anyway, when are you planning on asking George out?" asked Ginny knowingly and Emma blushed.

"How do you know? I mean am I that obvious?" she asked.

"It obvious to us because you're our friend..." at this Emma's heart swelled with pleasure in a 'matter of fact' voice, like she had read it out of a book. In fact, knowing her, she probable did. A book on how to understand boys, that sort of thing.

"He likes you too, you know" said Ginny warmly.

"Uh-huh" said Emma, not really believing it herself. She never let herself believe anything with it laid out in front of her in facts otherwise she could get her heart broken again and she didn't want that to happen.

"He does" said Hermione firmly. Emma sighed. Did he? Or were they saying this to make her feel better?

"All right, I'll ask him out. But not right away. I want to wait a little bit before I do, you know, build up my confidence."

Just then Harry and Ron came through the door. Ron looked miserable and Harry looked almost as troubled as Emma had done when she had come through the door.

"How was practise?" asked Hermione rather coolly. She obviously hadn't forgiven them for late homework.

"It was..." Harry began.

"Completely lousy" said Ron in a hollow voice, sinking into a chair besides Hermione. She looked at him and her frostiness seemed to melt.

"Well, it was only your first time" she said consolingly. "It's bound to take time to..."

"Who said it was me who made it lousy?" snapped Ron.

Emma gave him a reproachful look but he just glared right back at her.

"No one" said Emma calmly. "We though..."

"You lot thought U was bound to be rubbish?"

"RON! Blimey, you're worse than Harry when he's in one of his moods and that's saying something. We were saying that for the whole team, not just you" Emma grumbled, her good vanishing into vapours.

"I'm going to get started on some homework" said Ron angrily and stomped off to the staircase to the boys dormitories and vanished from sighed. Hermione, Emma and Ginny turned on Harry.

"Was he lousy?" they asked.

"No" said Harry loyally.

They raised their eyebrows at him and he shrugged.

"Well, I suppose he could've played better" Harry muttered. "But it was only the first training like you said..."

The girls left the boys doing their homework and sat down. Ginny and Hermione got off chatting again while Emma thought long and hard about how she was going to ask George out. She didn't know how she was going to but she was sure she was going to find out a way eventually. She always did.

At half past eleven, she and Hermione came wondering over to the boys, yawning, to see how they were going with their homework.

"Nearly done?" asked Hermione.

"No" said Ron shortly, most defiantly still in a mood. Someone needed an early night, and soon.

"Jupiter's biggest moon is Ganymede, not Callisto" she said, pointing over Ron's shoulder at the line in his Astronomy easy "and it's lo that's got the volcanoes."

"Thanks" snarled Ron, scratching out the offending sentences.

"Sorry, I only..."

"Yeah, well, if you've just come over her to criticise..."

"Ron..." Emma began.

"I haven't got time to listen to criticism all right, you two. I'm up to my..."

"No-look!" Emma exclaimed, pointing at the nearest window. Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked up. A handsome screech owl was standing on the windowsill, gazing into the room at Ron.

"Isn't that Hermes?" asked Harry, sounding amazed.

"Blimey, it is!" said Ron quietly, through down his quill and getting to his feet. "What's Percy writing to me for?" Ron quickly opened the window and took the letter.

Emma's eyes glazed over and suddenly started to glare at the letter as if wishing she could burn holes in it. She had obviously read it in the future.

Ron opened it and began to read it out loud.

_Dear Ron,_

_I have only just heard (from no less a person than the Minister for Magic himself, who has it from your new teacher, Professor Umbridge) that you have become a Hogwarts prefect._

_I was most pleasantly surprised when I heard the news and must firstly offer my congratulations. I must admit that I have always been afraid that you would take what we might call the 'Fred and George' route, rather than following in my footsteps, so you can imagine my feelings on hearing you have stopped flouting authority and have decided to shoulder some real responsibility._

_But I want to give you more than congratulations, Ron, I want to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night rather than by the usual morning post. Hopefully, you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions._

_From something the Minister let slip when telling me you are now a prefect, I gather that you are still seeing a lot of Harry Potter and now probable are seeing Emma Potter too. I must tell you, Ron, that nothing could put you in danger of losing your badge more than continued fraternisation with that boy. Yes, I am sure you are surprised to hear this- no doubt you will say that Potter has always been Dumbledore's favourite- but I feel bound to tell you that Dumbledore may not be in charge at Hogwarts much longer and the people who count have a very different- and probably more accurate- view of Potter's behaviour. I shall say no more here, but if you look at the _Daily Prophet tomorrow you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing- and see if you can spit yours truly!

_Seriously, Ron, you do not want to be tarred with the same brush as Potter, it could be very damaging to your future prospects, and I am talking here about life after school, too. As you must be aware, given that our father escorted him to court, Potter had a disciplinary hearing this summer in front of the whole Wizengamot and he did not come out of it looking too good. He got off on a mere technicality, if you ask me, and many of the people I've spoken to remain convinced of his guilt._

_It may be that you are afraid to sever ties with Potter- I know that he can be unbalanced and, for all I know, violent- but if you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else in Potter's behaviour that is troubling you, I urge you to speak to Dolores Umbridge, a truly delightful woman who I know will be only too happy to advise you._

_This leads me to my other bit of advice. As I have hinted above, Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts may soon be over. Your loyalty, Ron, should be not with him, but to the school and the Ministry. I am very sorry to hear that, so far, Professor Umbridge is encountering very little co-operation from staff as she strives to make those necessary changes within Hogwarts that the Ministry so ardently desires (although she should find the easier from next week- again, see the _Daily Prophet _tomorrow!)_

Ron stopped right there, an angry look on his face.

"Well" said Harry, trying to sound as though they found the whole thing a joke "if you want to 'server ties' with us, we swear we won't get violent." Emma put on a fake, innocent smile.

"He is..." said Ron jerkily, tearing Percy's letter in half "the worlds..." he tore it into quarters "biggest..." he tore it into eights "git." He threw the pieces into the fire.

"Come on, we've got to get this finished sometime before dawn" he said briskly to Harry, pulling Professor's Sinatra's essay back towards him.

Both Hermione and Emma looked at them with an odd expression on their faces.

"Oh, give them here" they said abruptly.

"What?" Ron asked.

"I'll take Harry's and you take Ron's. We'll look through them and correct them" said Emma, taking Harry's. Hermione took Ron's and they set to work.

Half an hour later, Emma gave Harry his homework and headed back to her bedroom. She needed rest. She was dead beat.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

The Hogwarts High Inquisitor

Emma met Ron, Hermione and Harry a lunch at the Gryffindor table. When she sat down, noticed they were talking about grades and sighed. Was this all 5th years talked about? OWL grades?

"Obviously, I'd have been thrilled if I'd got an 'O'" said none other than Hermione.

"Hermione" said Ron sharply "if you want to know what grades we got, ask."

"I don't- I didn't mean- well, if you want to tell me..." she trailed off and Emma rolled her eyes at her.

"I got a 'P'" said Ron, ladling soup into his bowl. "Happy?"

Emma notice Harry dive under the table and knew that he got a 'D'.

"Well, that's nothing to be ashamed of" said Fred, who had just arrived with (Emma's stomach did a back flip, or a forward flip, she couldn't tell) George and Lee, who winked at Emma who smiled back. Fred sat down on Harry's right. "There is nothing wrong with a good healthy 'P'". Emma rolled her eyes at him and shook her head.

"But" said Hermione "doesn't 'P' stand for..."

"Poor, yeah" said Lee. "Still, better than 'D', isn't it? Dreadful?"

"I don't see anything wrong with a big, fat 'D'. It only means you're dreadful at test" said Emma.

"Are you taking your OWLs this year than?" asked George.

"Already taken mine" she said, taking a mouthful of soup.

"What grades did you get then?" asked Lees. Emma muttered something.

"Sorry?" Harry laugh

"Outstanding in all subjects" she mumbled and blushed a very deep red. Fred, George and Lee clapped.

"Looks like we have a brainy box in out mists" said Fred. Hermione looked a little bit offended at this.

Emma must have noticed this because she said "actually, I'm only clever because I am a vampire. Hermione is really the clever person here." They all didn't look very convinced.

"You lot had an inspected lesson yet?" Fred asked, changing to subject.

"No" said Harry. "Have you?"

"Just now, before lunch" said George "Charms."

"What was it like?" asked Emma.

Fred shrugged. "Not that bad. Umbridge just lurked in the corner making notes on a clipboard. You know what old Flickwick's like, he treated her like a guest, didn't seem to bother him at all. She didn't say much. Asked Alicia a couple of questions about what the classes are normally like, Alicia told her they were really good, that was it."

"I can't see old Flickwick getting marked down" said George. "He usually gets everyone through their exams all right."

"Yeah, he does" said Emma thoughtfully.

"Who've you got this afternoon?" Fred asked Harry.

"Trelawney..."

"A 'T' if ever I did see one."

"More like 'F' for fraud" said Emma grimly and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"... And Umbridge herself."

"Well, be a good boy and keep your temper with Umbridge today" said George. "Angelina'll do her nit if you miss any more Quidditch practises."

"Don't worry, I've got a pair of wings and a halo ready for Harry if he does" said Emma and they laughed.

Emma groaned sympathetically as Harry left Umbrige's office again after a detention, his hand now bleeding severely that it was now staining the scarf he had wrapped around it. They expected the common room to be empty when they returned, but Ron and Hermione had sat up waiting for them. Emma was pleased to see them, especially as Hermione was disposed to be sympathetic rather than critical.

"Here" she said anxiously, pushing a small bowl of yellow liquid towards Harry. "Soak you hand in that, it's a solution of strained and pickled Murtical tentacles, it should help. Do you know any spell that could fix this, Emma?" asked Hermione and Emma shook her head sadly.

"Not ones that I know I can do without making the wound worse, sorry" she said.

"Its okay" said Harry, placing his hand in the liquid.

"She's an awful woman" said Hermione in a small voice. "Awful, you know. I was just saying to Ron when you came in... We've got to do something about her."

"I suggested poison" said Ron grimly.

"Seconded" said Emma with the same grim voice.

"No... I mean something about what a dreadful teacher she is, and how we're not going to learn any Defence Against the Dark Arts at all" said Hermione in an annoyed voice.

"Well, what can we do about it?" said Ron, yawning. "It's too late, isn't it? She's got the job, she's here to stay. Fudge'll make sure of that."

"Well" said Hermione tentatively. "You know, I was thinking today" she shot a slightly nervous look at Harry and them plunged right in to it "I was thinking that maybe the time's come when we should just- just do it ourselves."

"Hermione, you are a genius!" Emma crowned her, grinning. Hermione looked chuffed. Yes, it would be perfect, and so fitting what with all the important stuff that was going to happen- Emma had made it her daily job to check the future for anything that was really, really important. Just in case she needed to save someone's life or something random like that.

"Who'll be teaching?" she asked Hermione all though she had a pretty good idea who was going to. She had got a glimpse of it at the very beginning of the year.

"Well, I was hoping you two would teach us all" she said uncertainly and shot Harry a worried look, as if he was a bomb about to go off. Emma wasn't surprised; he did seem to give that impression quite a lot of times.

"I'm up for it, though I think Harry will need some time to think about it" Emma grinned, and headed out of the common room. She needed to hunt, and she needed to hunt now.

**AN: sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I didn't really have much to right about because there wasn't really much in the book that could give me some clues. I hope you liked it anyway **** .**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

In Hog's Head

Emma followed Harry, Ron and Hermione as they headed through Hogsmead. This was actually her first time she had been here without a teacher with her. Of course, she could never go alone in case her thirst for blood got the better of her.

"Where are we going? The Three Broomsticks?" asked Harry.

"Oh no" said Hermione "no, it's always packed and noisy. I've told the others to meet us in the Hog's Head, that other pub, you know the one, and it's not on the main road. I think it's a bit... you know... dodgy... but students don't normally go in there, so I don't think we'll be over heard."

When they got to Hog's Head, Emma just walked in to the pub as if she owned the place. She sensed the others were a bit nervous in entering. She knew why. The Hog's Head didn't have one of the nicest reputation. Emma walked up to the pub.

"What?" the bare man grunted.

"Four Butterbears please" she said smoothly and calmly as she could- though the man gave her the hebigibies.

The man reached beneath the counter and pulled up four very dusty, very dirty bottles, which he slammed on to the counter.

"Nine Sickles" he said and Emma handed it to him.

"Here" said Emma as they sat down on a table furthest from the bar. She had brought four cups and handed them out.

"So, who did you say is supposed to be meeting us?" Harry asked, wrenching open the rusty top of his Butterbears and poured himself a glass.

The pub door opened. A thick bound of dusty sunlight split into the room in two for a moment and then vanished, blocked by the incoming crowd of people.

Emma did a quick count of heads. 25 PEOPLE! Blimey, that was a lot. Then Emma had a horrible though. 25 people she was going to have to talk to. She wasn't a talked, no matter what she seemed.

"A couple of people?" said Harry hoarsely to Hermione. _"A couple of people?"_

"Yes, well, the idea seemed quite popular" said Hermione happy. "Ron, do you want to pull up some more chairs?"

Apparently from her, the more the merrier. Emma most certainly didn't think so.

"Hi" said George, reaching the bar and counting his companions quickly. "Could we have... twenty-five Butterbears, please?"

Emma hoped down from her stool and quickly payed for all of them.

"You didn't need to do that, I could have got the others to pay" George frowned at her. Emma sat back down on her seat and shrugged.

"I'm not fussed, in fact, I puffer paying" said Emma with a shy smile at him.

Hermione looked so nervous about speaking in front of people that Emma had no choice but to stand up and she began to talk for her "Hi, well, of course, you know why your here. Hermione here had an idea that it might be good if people who wanted to study Defence Against the Dark Arts- and we mean, really study it, you know, not the crap that Umbridge is doing with us..." ("Hear, hear" said Anthony Goldstein and Emma smiled warmly) "...Well, we thought it would be good if we, well, took the matters into our own hands."

She paused, looked sideways at Harry, and went on "and by that I mean learning how to defend ourselves properly, not just in theory but doing real spells..."

"You want to pass your Defence Against the Dark Arts OWLs too, though, I bet?" said Michael Corner. George didn't like how closely he was watching her.

"Of course we do" said Hermione straight away.

"We want more than that though, we want to be properly trained because... well... because Lord Voldemort is back."

The reacting was immediate and predictable. Cho's friend shrieked and slopped Butterbear down herself; Terry Boot gave a kind of involuntary twitch Padam Patil shuddered, and Neville gave an odd yelp that he managed to turn into a cough. All of them, however, looked fixedly, even eagerly, at Harry and Emma. Suddenly, Emma's gaze focussed on something they couldn't see and then she turned her fierce gaze on Zacheius which made him cower. "Of course, you're not going to believe us because all of you for is for us to tell you what happened the night Ceddric died. I don't suppose you've watched someone die, have you Zacheius? Because otherwise you wouldn't be thinking up stupid questions that we are NOT going to answer. Not until Harry is ready!" Emma gaze was so fierce and protective that Zacheius shrunk under it.

"Sorry" he mumbled and looked quickly at the floor beneath him as if hoping it would open up and swallow him whole.

"Is it true" said a girl suddenly with a long plait down her back, looking at both Harry and Emma "that both of you can produce a Patronus? A corporeal Patronus I mean?"

"You don't by any chance know Madam Bones do you?" asked Harry suspiciously.

"She's my auntie." She said. "I'm Susan Bones. She told me about your hearing. So- it is really true? You make a stag and a doe Patronus?"

"Yes" said Emma and Harry.

"Hang on, so it must be true that Emma fought of thousands of vampires single handed?"

"I suppose you know Miss Angelina" Emma muttered, looked at the ceiling and going very red in the face.

"Uh-huh" Hanna grinned.

"Whoa" said a couple of people.

"So" said Hermione hastily noticing how embarrassed Harry and Emma were getting and deciding they needed spearing. "Moving on... the point is, are we agreed we want to take lessons from Harry and Emma."

There were murmurs of agreement.

"We'd make sure it fits in with everyone. Can Angelina, Cho and Zacharias tell us when your Quidditch practises are so me and Harry can plan the lessons" said Emma and those three nodded.

"We'll have to find somewhere to practise" said Harry and they nodded.

"Well, that is settled. We'll let you know when the first lesson will be" said Emma and they all got up and left.

**AN: please review. I love reading them. Do you think Emma is an okay character? Please let me know so, if I need to, I can improve her. Thanks **


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Dumbledore's Army

The weather horrible when Harry, Ron and Emma went down to the Quidditch pitch for practise. Emma decided she wanted to watch them play again. She hoped she was going to be able to see them with all this rain when she realised that she was a vampire and could see all the time. She felt so human at times and because everyone treats her like she was a human that she almost forgot.

They found Fred and (Emma's stomach did a back flip) George debating whether or not to use some of their own Skiving Snackboxes to get out of flying.

"... but I bet she'd know what we'd done" said Fred out of the corner of his mouth. "If only I hadn't offered to sell her some Puking Pastilles yesterday."

"We could try Fever Fudge" George muttered "no one's seen that yet..."

"Does it work?" enquired Ron hopefully as the hammering on the roof got steadily louder.

"Well, yeah" said Fred. "Your temperature will go right up."

"But you get these massive pus-filled boils, too" said George "and we haven't worked out how to get rid of them yet."

Emma reached into her hand-bag and pulled out a bottle of what looked like lemonade. "Take this; it should get rid of the boils and here some to put into your Fever Fudge. Only put two drops in mind" she said, pulling out a second bottle and handed it to them.

"Thanks a million, Emma" said Fred, taking a sip and putting the second bottle in his bag out of sight.

"Yeah, you're a life-saver" George grinned, taking his. Emma just smiled a small smile and left the changing rooms.

She glared up at the sky. She hated the rain but she also liked it. Weird huh? It was cool and refreshing but you catch illnesses in it!

At the end of an unsuccessful Quidditch, Emma went back into the changing rooms with the sodden and disgruntles Gryffindor team.

Suddenly, there was a sharp pain of anger- if that makes sense- in her shoulder and both her and Harry exclaimed:

"OUCH!"

"What's up?" asked several voices.

"Nothing" said Emma as calmly as she could. Suddenly, Emma had a vision.

"That is perfect" she said eagerly.

"I have found the perfect place for the lessons" she said to Harry mainly.

"Where?" said Ron just as eagerly as her.

"It's called the Room of Requirement. It is a room that a person can only enter when they have a great need of it. Sometimes it is there, and sometimes it is not, but it appears, it is always equipped for the person's needs. Very few people know it. Mostly people stumble across it when they need I, but them they never find it again, for the do not know that it is always there waiting o be called in to service."

"Brilliant" sad Harry.

They left the changing rooms and they told everyone to come. They were all to skittish so Emma went in first.

"Oh...my...God, this is so cool! You guys have just got to come and see this" Emma shouted from inside and everyone's curiosity got the better of them. They all ran inside, Harry, Hermione and Ron first. They started to look around.

The walls were lined with wooden books cases and instead of chairs there were large silk cushions on the floor. A set of shelves at the far end of the room carried a range of instruments such as Sneakoscopes, secrecy sensors and a large, cracked foe class that Harry and Emma were sure had hung, the previous year, in the fake Moody's office.

"These will be good for when we're practising Stunning" said Ron enthusiastically, prodding one of the cushions with his foot.

"And just look at these books" said Hermione excitedly, running a finger along the spines of the large bound tones. Her face was glowing and they all saw that Hermione was convinced that they were going the right thing now.

"Hey, Harry, Emma, what's this stuff" asked Dean from the rear end of the room, indicating the Sneakoscopes and Foe Class.

"Dark Detectors, basically they all show you when a Dark or untrusting wizard..." Harry began.

"Or enemies are around, but you don't want to rely on them too much, they can be fooled" finished Emma.

"Well, me and Emma have been thinking about the sort of stuff we ought to do first and... yes Emma" said Harry, noticing Emma bouncing up and down in the air with her hand up making a couple of people laugh.

"We need a name" she said with a grin, as if she knew it already. In fact, knowing her, she probably did.

There was chatter and, in the end, they settled for DA, short for Dumbledore's Army because this is what the Ministry of Magic feared the most.

"Okay, Emma, have you got any spells" asked Harry and everyone looked at Emma. She nodded and pulled out a sheet of paper she had written them all on.

"I've picked a few spells out of Dumbledore's books. Stunning, Patronus, Jelly Legs, Leg lock, Petrificus totalus, Impedimenta, Relasho, fiendtre, and that's about it" she said, scanning her notes and looked up. Nearly everyone's mouth was hanging open. "What?" she asked.

"You can do all that?" asked Dean weakly.

"Well yeah, I mean, it's not hat hard" she said with a shrug. George had a feeling he had a lot to learn about her.

"Anyway, I think we should start with stunning" said Harry and Emma nodded.

"Can you divide into pairs please" said Emma and they did as they were told. Emma waved her wand and cushions flew behind everyone.

"On the count of three then, one... two... three" said Harry and curses started to fly everywhere.

Emma was a bit too quick for Harry because of her years of practise and got him at least five times before he even managed to stun her. Afterwards, they started to wonder around to see how the others were getting on.

Harry went around the edge where as Emma walked around in the middle. Emma found something very odd was happening to Zacharias Smith, his own wand would fly out of his hand, yet no-body was suppose to be disarming and Anthony was not making a single movement or sound. However Emma did not have to look fare to solve the mystery: Fred and George were several feet away from Zacharias and taking it in turns to point their wands at his back. Of course, it would be them.

"Sorry Emma" said George hastily, when Emma caught his eyes. "Couldn't resist." He smiled at her and Emma smiled back even though her stomach was withering like snakes.

A few minutes later, Emma caught Harry's eyes and he blew a whistle he had obviously found.

"I've noticed that a lot of people are swinging their wands to the right so your opponent only stager back. Remember, your wand when casting spells always goes to the left" she paused and then added "Except for cheep tricks." They all laughed, well, most of them did anyway.

"Carry on" said Harry.

She carried on walking and noticed George kept missing Fred even though he was standing stock still.

"Here, keep your arm level with your shoulder at 90 degrees. You more likely to hit your opponent" she said, raising Georges arm slightly higher.

She noticed dimly that whenever she touched his bare skin, he got goose bumps. Maybe she had cold hands. She also felt the usual jolt of electricity run through her to him and back again.

"Thanks" he said, both of them blushing and he accidently sending Fred flying across the room and into a pile of books which covered him completely.

"I'm okay" came a muffled voice of Fred and everyone laughed. Emma waved her wand and Fred was suddenly out.

"Alright, I think we better get going" said Harry checking his watch and everyone nodded in agreement.

"We'll have another meeting next Wednesday" said Emma as everyone started to filter out of the room. Soon it was just George, Fred, Emma, Harry, Ron and Hermione left in the Room of Requirement.

"I think I'll stay behind and tide up" said Emma gesturing around the room timidly and began to tide up without magic. She didn't fancy talking to anyone at the moment. She had just seen a very young and a very beautiful girl give a flirtish look. It basically broke her heart even though George didn't return it because didn't see it but still.

"Go on, ask her out. Now's your chance!" whispered Fred nodding to Emma as Harry, Hermione and Ron left the room.

"But what if she says no?" asked George nervously. He had never asked out a girl before and he never thought it would be this nerve racking.

"Better than not knowing. And Emma doesn't seem the type to tell the world" argued Fred. George sighed, giving up. He had nothing to say to that.

"Alright" said George.

"I'll meet you outside" said Fred and George nodded. He took a deep breath and walked over.

"Here, I'll help" said George and Emma jumped. She blushed. The blush made her look even more beautiful and her flaming red hair look even redder.

"Thanks" said Emma. She pulled out her wand and George copied her. They waved their wands silently and everything flew back into their normal place.

"There" said George and they both turned to each other. They only just realised how close together they were. Their noses almost touching.

Slowly, George bent down and Emma closed her eyes. Their lips met and their worlds collided.

She was everywhere, the smell of her hair, the sound of her ragged breath, taste of her lips on his, the feeling of her hand running through his hair and the feeling of the enjoyable feeling of the electricity running through them both.

Very slowly, they broke apart and rested their foreheads against each others.

"I guess this means we're on a date" said George with a smile.

"Yeah" she said breathlessly. They both laughed and both walked out of the room holding hands.

The news that Emma Potter was going out with George Weasley spread like wild fire and soon everyone in the school knew by the next morning.

George came in through the portrait hole looking annoyed and Fred looked amused.

"What's up?" asked Emma, eyeing him from over the top of her book.

"Some boy from Hufflepuff asked George if you were good in bed" said Fred and Emma saw that he was having a hard time not laughing. In fact, so was Emma.

"What did you tell him" said Emma. Now she was really having trouble not laughing.

"He told him to sod of" said Fred and Emma, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Fred burst out laughing. Soon after, George joined in.

"Uh-huh, well, that was... unexpected" chuckled Emma. She looked at her watch and hoped up. "I gotta go, Dumbledore wanted to talk to me about something."

"But I just got here" said George, pouting.

"Uh-huh, but it was your fault you started to date a girl who almost got killed by Voldemort" she kissed him on the cheek and climb out of the portrait hole. This was going to be interesting.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The Lion and the Serpent

Harry and Emma spent some of their time in the library looking up spells that could help them in the future. It was pretty fun and they were all sure that all of the DA team were going to pass their Defence Against the Sark Arts OWLs this year.

Hermione soon devised a very clever method of communicating the time and date of the meeting to all the members in case they needed to change it at short notice.

"You see the numbers around the edge of the coins?" Hermione said, holding one up for examination at the end of their fourth meeting. The coin gleamed fat and yellow in the light from the torches. "On a real Gallon that's just a serial number referring to the goblin who cast the coin. On these fake coins, however, the numbers will change to reflect time and date of the next meeting. The coins will grow jot when the date and time changes, so if you are carrying them in your pocket you'll be able to feel them. We take one each, and when Harry and Emma set the date of the next meeting they'll change the numbers on their coin, and because I've put a Protean Charm on them, they'll all change to mimic theirs."

"I like them" grinned Emma, taking her coin. There was a murmur of assent and everybody moved forwards to collect one from the basket. Harry and Emma both looked sideways at Hermione.

"You know what these remind us of?" asked Harry.

"No, what's that?" Hermione asked.

"The Death Eater's scars. Voldemort touches one of them, and all their scares burn, and they know they've got to join him" said Emma, eyeing the coin in her hand.

"Well...yes" said Hermione quietly "that is where I got the idea... but you'll notice I decided to engrave the date on bits of metal rather than on our member's skin" said Hermione and Harry and Emma nodded.

"Yeah... I prefer your way" said Emma and Harry at the same time. They slipped the Gallon's into their pockets.

"I suppose the only danger with these that we might accidently spend them" said Harry, grinning.

"Fat chance" said Ron, who was examining his own fake Galleon with a slightly mournful air "I haven't got any real Galleons to confuse it with." Emma and Hermione looked at Ron sympathetically.

Emma ran onto the pitch. Harry had just been hit by a Bludger. Luckily he was only five or six feet above the ground because he was hit squarely in the small of the back and he slew forwards of his brook.

"Harry, are you aright" she said, helping him up.

"Course I am" said Harry grimly.

"It was that thug Crabbe" said Angelina angrily "he whacked the Bludger at the moment he saw you'd got the Snitch- but we won, Harry, we won!"

Emma and Harry heard a snort from behind them and turned around, Harry was still holding the Snitch tightly in his hand: Draco Malfoy had landed close by. White-faced with fury, he was still managing to sneer.

"Saved Weasley's neck, haven't you?" he said to Harry. "I've never seen a worse Keeper... but then he was born in a bin... did you like my lyrics, Potters?"

"Oh, you're only having a go at us because you asked me on a date in front of all your little mates and I turned you down" said Emma disgustedly. All the Gryffindor laughed.

"But, I forgot, you like the Weasleys, don't you, Potter?" said Malfoy, sneering. "Spend holidays there and everything, don't you? Can't seen how you stand the stink, but I suppose you've been dragged up by Dumbledore" he sneered.

"Don't you dare insult Albus Dumbledore" Emma screeched and Malfoy went flying into the Slytherin's goal post. People around her erupted with applause.

"Miss Potter" said Umbridge, walking briskly onto the pitch. Everyone went dead quiet. "What did you just do?"

"I blasted him into the goal post because he was insulting the Weasley's family" said Emma calmly, turning her fierce gaze onto Umbridge. Umbridge winced slightly but stood her ground.

"Did you know that was wrong?" she asked Emma as if she was a three year old.

"Well, yeah, that is exactly why I did it" said Emma in a 'dur' sort of voice.

"Uh-huh, I'm taking you to Dumbledore, now" she said, grabbing Emma ruffle by the arm and literally dragged her of the pitch. There was a bang and Umbridg's hand flew of Emma's arm.

"I can walk on my own" said Emma coolly and stalked off towards Dumbledore's office with Umbridge following her dumbly.

"That's my girl" both Harry and George murmured. They both laughed.

Emma sighed as she climbed through the portrait hole and noticed everyone's grumpy faces.

"What did she do?" she asked, sitting down and leant against George's legs.

"Umbridge gave Harry, Fred and George a life time ban from Quidditch" grumbled Angelina in a hollow voice. "No Seeker and No Beaters...what on earth are we going to do?"

"She did WHAT?" asked Emma, shocked.

"Don't tell me your shocked!" said Fred.

"I suppose I should've known" Emma said, closing her eyes.

"It's just so unfair" said Alicia numbly. "I mean what about Crabbe and that Bludger he hit after the whistle had been blown? Has she banned him?"

"No" said Ginny miserably; she and Hermione were sitting on either side of Harry. "He just got lines, I heard Montague laughing about it at dinner."

"And banning Fred when he didn't even do anything!" said Alicia furiously, pummelling her knee with her fist.

"It's not my fault I didn't" said Fred, with a very ugly look on his face "I would've pounded the little scumbag to a pulp if you three hadn't been holding me back."

"Urgh!" said Emma suddenly, throwing her arms up in the air in frustration.

"You okay" asked George.

"No, I am not. The woman is blocking my visions and I can't just sit here. I have a horrible feeling that something is going to happen and I just can't see it" she said, her eyes were blazing like fire.

"Hang on, visions?" asked Angelina. Emma looked like a deer caught in a flash light. She supposed she was lucky that only her true friends heard that.

"Okay, urm, basically, I am errrrrr, a vampire" she said, eyeing them.

"Do you think you could prove it?" asked Alicia and Emma nodded wearily. She crouched into her predatory crouch and rearranged her face into a snarl. They all looked terrified because all of them had never seen her like this. She put herself back to Emma and smiled a sheepish smile.

"I guess you really are" said Alicia and Emma laughed.

"Yuh think, anyway, I swear I am going to kill Umbridge" she said and started pacing the room.

"I'm going to bed" said Angelina, getting slowly to her feet. "Maybe this will all turn out to have been a bad dream... maybe I'll wake up tomorrow and find we haven't played yet..."

She was soon followed by Alicia and Katie. Fred and George sloped off to bed some time later and Ginny went not long after that. Only Harry, Hermione and Emma were left beside the fire.

"Have you seen Ron?" Hermione asked in a low voice.

Emma and Harry shook their heads.

"I think he's avoiding us" said Hermione. "Where do you think he...?"

But at that precise moment, there was a creaking sound behind them as the Fat Lady swung forwards and Ron came clabbering through the portrait hole. He was very pale indeed and there was snow in his hair. When he saw Harry, Emma and Hermione, he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Where have you been?" asked Emma anxiously, springing up.

"Walking" Ron mumbled. He was still wearing his Quidditch things.

"You look frozen" said Hermione. "Come and sit down!"

Suddenly, Emma jumped up and glanced out of the window. "Guess what" she said with a very big grin on her face.

"What's that?" asked Hermione, Harry and Ron asked glumly.

"Hagrid's back."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Hagrid's Tale

Harry sprinted up to the boy's dormitories to fetch the Invisibility Cloak and the Marauder's Map from his trunk; he was so quick that he, Ron and Emma were ready to leave at least five minutes before Hermione hurried back down from the girl's dormitories, wearing scarf, gloves and one of her own knobbly elf hats.

"I don't need to go under the clock" said Emma and she suddenly disappeared.

"Whoa, that was a little creepy" said Ron as Harry threw the clock over him, Hermione and Ron.

When they got down to Hagrid's hut, Emma knocked briskly on the door.

"Something's not right" they heard her murmur but before they could ask her what she meant, Hagrid opened the door and they could see why.

"Oh, Hagrid" said Hermione, looking at him anxiously.

"It's nothin', it's nothin'!" said Hagrid hastily, shutting the door behind them and hurrying to close all the curtains. Emma reappeared.

"Merlin's beard, who the hell are you" said Hagrid, gazing at her in shock and horror. Emma held her hands up like surrender.

"I'm Harry's sister. Dumbledore kept me quiet for so long because I was dangerous because I am a vampire. I came because I know exactly what you have been doing and what you brought back and I know it's not a good idea" said Emma all in one breath.

"Okay, okay, I get yuh. Just checkin'. Yuh can never be too careful" said Hagrid. Emma raised her eyebrows. He can talk.

Hagrid's hair was matted with congealed blood and his left eye had been reduced to a puffy slit amid a mass of purple and black bruising. There were many cuts on his face and hands, some of them still bleeding, and he was moving gingerly, which made Emma suspect broken ribs. It was obvious that he had only just got home; a thick travelling cloak lay over the back of a chair and a haversack large enough to carry several small children leaned against the inside the door. Hagrid himself, twice the size of a normal man, was now limping over to the fire and placed a copper kettle over it.

"What happened to you?" Harry demanded, while Fang bounded over to Emma and almost knocked her down. She smiled at him and stocked him lovingly.

"I'm tellin' yeh, I'm fine" said Hagrid.

"Uh-huh, sure. Did I mention I can see peoples past and future" said Emma and Hagrid looked like a deer caught in the headlights.

"Alrigh', alrigh' I'll tell yeh" said Hagrid. "I've been ter look fer giants."

"And have you found them?" said Hermione in a hushed voice.

"Well, they're not that difficult ter find, ter be honest" said Hagrid. "Pretty big, see."

"Where are they?" said Ron.

"Mountains" said Hagrid unhelpfully.

"So why don't Muggles...?"

"They do" said Emma darkly. "Only their deaths are always put down as mountaineering accidents, aren't they?"

"Come on, Hagrid, tell them about your summer and Harry will tell you about how he was attacked by Dementors" said Emma convincingly. Hagrid chocked on his tea.

"Dementors? Attacked Harry?" he growled while still coughing.

"He'll tell you about it when you tell them about the giants" said Emma in a calm, smooth sort of voice. Harry, Ron and Hermione beamed at Emma.

"Oh, all righ'" Hagrid said in a resigned voice.

He took another fortifying gulp of tea, then said "Well, we set off righ' after term ended..."

"Madame Maxime went with you, then?" Hermione interjected.

"Yeah, tha's righ'" said Hagrid, and a softened appeared on his face. "Yeah, it was jus' the pair of us. An' I'll tell yeh this, she's not afraid of nothin' it, Olympe. Yeh know, she's a fine, well-dressed woman, an' knowin' where we was goin' I wondered 'ow she'd feel abou' clamberin' over boulders an' sleepin' in caves an' tha', bu' she never complained once."

"You knew where you were going?" Harry repeated. "You knew where the giants were?"

"Dumbledore told them. I was eavesdropping because I was dead bored. And that is no metaphor" said Emma with a childish grin on her face.

"And I wondered how you could go out with George" said Hermione and Hagrid looked confused.

"Yeh are da'ing George Weasley" he asked.

"Uh-huh" said Emma nodding.

"God help you" said Hagrid and Emma laughed.

"_Some think it's complicated, But its straight up fun for me, I don't, need no explanation, It's nothing more than what you see , My heart still feels divided, Halfway between wrong and right, I know I'm playing with fire, But I don't mind" _Emma sang, smiling.

"Anyway, mos' wizards aren' bothered where they are, as long as it's a good long way away. B7t where they are's very difficult ter get ter, fer humans anyway, so we needed Dumbledore's instructions. Took us abou' month ter get there..."

"A month?" said Ron, as though he had never heard a journey lasting such a ridiculously long time. "But-why couldn't you just grab a Portkey or something?"

"Everyone is being watched. The Ministry is being a pain in the ass" said Emma, looking around the room.

"You swear?" asked Hermione in shock.

"Only when I'm upset or depressed or angry or any negative feeling" said Emma casually, as if she wasn't really paying attention. Her eyes were slightly dazed. "Carry on Hagrid" she said after a pause.

"We found 'em" said Hagrid badly. "Went over a ridge one nigh' an' there they was, spread ou' underneath us. Little fires burnin' below an' huge shadows... it was like wachin' btis o' the mountain movin'."

"How big are they?" asked Ron in a hushed voice.

"About twenty feet" said Hagrid casually. "Some o' the bigger ones mighta bin twenty-five."

"I've gotta go" said Emma with a smile.

"Now?" asked Harry.

"Yeah, now. Mercury wanted to talk to me" said Emma, grabbing her bag.

"Who's Mercury?" asked Ron.

"Oh, he's my friend" said Emma, opening the hut door. She hesitated and then she spun on her heels "Err, he's a unicorn."

"Right... okay" said Ron as if she was worried about her mental health.

"It's true" said Emma, stamping her foot and crossing her arms.

"It's true, Ron, most unicorns can talk to people they feel attached to or feel really close too" said Hermione matter-of-factly.

"Yeh, anyway, see yuh" said Emma with a grin and ran out.

"You wanted to see me" said Emma, setting down her bag and looking around her. She was sitting on a rock covered in bright green moss. Trees towered over her like guardians and the sun shining down on them like a spot light.

Mr Weasley said Mercury in her head and Emma snapped her head up.

"What about him" she asked urgently. She had seen something like this but it was always too fast and bright to understand it.

You-Know-Who is looking for something. Something he needs to have full power. His snake goes looking. He finds Mr Weasley Mercury replied scripted.

"So you're saying that Mr Weasley is going to be attack by Voldemort's snake?" Emma asked. Why couldn't unicorns just give straight answers? Mercury shook his main and ran off.

"I'll take that as a yes" said Emma and ran off to Dumbledore. She only hoped she wasn't too late.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Eye of the Snake

Emma heard Professor McGonagall trying to explain to Dumbledore what happened. "Professor Dumbledore, Potter has had a... well, a nightmare."

"Professor McGonagall, it wasn't a nightmare. I saw it and Mercury told me, we have to hurry... now!" Emma gushed, running through the door.

"Well, then, Miss Potter, you tell the Headmaster what happened" said Professor McGonagall, rounding on Emma and frowning slightly.

"It was like a vision, we were the snake. The snake, we, attacked Mr Weasley and he is bleeding badly. If we don't _hurry up, _then he will die" said Emma. Why wasn't Dumbledore looking at them?

Dumbledore stood up, so quickly it made Harry jump, and addressed one of the old portraits hanging very near the ceiling. "Everard?" he said sharply. "And you too, Dilys!"

Emma closed her eyes tight shut. Voldemort was trying to get into her head and it was horrible. Like something was pushing into her brain. She wanted to give into the pressure but she knew that, if Voldemort got in, they were all going to be in trouble.

"Are you okay?" asked Harry and Emma shook her head.

"Just try and be quite" said Emma through gritted teeth. Harry felt instantly silent. He probably thought it was something to do with her being a vampire. Well, in her opinion, it was better that way.

"You were listening" said Dumbledore.

"Naturally" said the witch and the wizard nodded.

"The man has red hair and glasses" said Dumbledore. "Everard, you will need to raise the alarm, make sure he is found by the right people..."

Both nodded and moved sideways out of their frames, but instead of emerging in neighbouring pictures (as usually happened a Hogwarts) neither reappeared.

"Everard and Dilys were two of Hogwarts's most celebrated Heads" Emma explained, once she managed to push Voldemort right out of her head, as Harry wondered mentally why them. "Their renown is such that both have portraits hanging in other important Wizarding intuitions. As they are free to move between their own portraits, they can tell us what may be happening elsewhere..."

"But Mr Weasley could be anywhere!" said Harry and Emma rested her hand on his shoulder, silently telling him that she wished she could do more for Mr Weasley.

"Please sit down, all four of you" said Dumbledore, as though Harry had not spoken "Everard and Dilys may not be back for several minutes. Professor McGonagall, if you could draw up extra chairs."

Emma glared at Dumbledore. She had just realised why he wasn't looking at them and that was no good. Dumbledore could be so annoying and thick sometimes!

Professor McGonagall pulled out her wand from the pocket of her dressing gown and waved it; three chairs appeared out of thin air, straight-backed and wooden. Harry, Emma and Ron sat down, all watching Dumbledore over their shoulders. Dumbledore was now stroking Fawkes's plumped golden head with one finger. The phoenix awoke immediately. He stretched his beautiful head high and observed Dumbledore through bright, dark eyes.

"We will need" Dumbledore said very quietly to the bird "a warning."

There was a flash of fire and the phoenix had gone.

Dumbledore now swooped down upon one of the fragile silver instruments whose function Emma had a pretty good idea of, carried it over to his desk, sat down facing them again and tapped it gently with the tip of his wand.

The instrument tinkled into life at once with rhythmic clinking noises. Tiny puffs of pale green smoke issued from the minuscule silver tube at the top. Dumbledore watched the smoke closely, his brow burrowed. After a few seconds, the tiny puffs became a steady stream of smoke that thickened and coiled in the air... a serpent's head grew out of the end of it, opening its mouth wide.

"Oh" breathed Emma, staring at the serpent with understanding eyes.

"Naturally, naturally" murmured Dumbledore apparently Emma and himself. Emma nodded.

"But in essence divided?" asked Emma.

As if an answer to her question, the smoke serpent, however, split itself instantly into two snakes, both coiling and undulating in the dark air.

"Get in there" said Emma, punching the air and almost falling off her chair.

"What?" asked Ron and Harry together.

"You'll see" said Emma with a small smile though it didn't reach her eyes. She was obviously still worrying about Mr Weasley.

Dumbledore replaced the instrument on its spindly little table. Harry and Emma saw many o the old headmasters in the portraits follow them with their eyes, then realising that Harry and Emma was watching them, hastily pretended to be sleeping again. Suddenly, Everard had reappeared in his portrait, panting slightly.

"Dumbledore!"

Emma jumped up, looking at the wizard hopefully.

"What news?" said Dumbledore at once.

"I yelled until someone came running" said the wizard, who was mopping his brow on the curtain behind him "said I'd heard something moving downstairs- they weren't sure whether to believe me but went down to check- you know there are no portraits down there to watch from. Anyway, they carried him up a few minutes later. He doesn't look good, he's covered in blood, and I ran along to Elfrida Cragg's portrait to get a good view as they left..."

"Good" said Dumbledore as Ron made a convulsive movement. "I take it Dilys will have seen him arrive, then..."

And moments later, the silver-ringlet witch had reappeared in her picture, too; she sank, coughing, into her armchair and said "Yes, they've taken him to St Mungo's, Dumbledore... they carried him past my portrait... he looks bad..."

"Thank you" said Dumbledore. He looked round at Emma.

"Emma, I need you to go and wake the other Weasley children."

"Of course" said Emma and moved swiftly to the door.

First, she ran to Fred and George.

"You two, wake up" she hissed at them.

"Wha' da ma'er?" mumbled George, still half asleep. Emma shook Fred awake.

"You dad, he's been attack" she said. That woke them up.

"Is he alright?" asked Fred.

"I don't know, I can't see" Emma moaned. "We need to get Ginny."

She woke Ginny up and they all headed to Dumbledore's office.

"What happened?" asked Ginny as they walked briskly towards the office.

"We'll tell you when we get there. Right now, we must make sure that Mrs The-Ministry-is-the-best finds out that you're out of bed and awake" said Emma, turning another corner.

They all knew that Mrs The-Ministry-is-the-best was Umbridge. Emma obviously didn't like her at all. In fact, they weren't surprised at all that she had started calling Umbridge names. All the DA team heard her muttering about Umbridge when she wasn't doing something.

Finally, they reached Dumbledore's and Emma burst through the doors. "Any news on Mr Weasley" she asked and Harry shook his head sadly.

"Harry- what's going on?" asked Ginny, who looked frightened. "Emma says dads hurt."

"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix" said Dumbledore, before Harry or Emma could speak. "He has been taken to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius's house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than The Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

"How're we going?" asked Fred, looking shaken. "Floo powder?"

"No" said Emma "Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the Network is being watched."

"Emma is right, you will be taken by Portkey." He indicated the old kettle lying innocently on his desk. "We are just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back... I want to be sure that the coast is clear before sending you."

"But Dumbledore, Portkey's mess with my powers. I won't be able to see anything for 4 hours for goodness sake! What if some random attacker decides to head for one of us and I don't see. A.K.A, dead people" Emma winded, glaring at the Portkey as if it was its fault.

"I know but it's the only..."

There was a flash of flame in the very middle of the office, leaving a single golden feather that floated gently to the floor.

"It is Fawkes's warning" said Dumbledore, catching the feather as it fell. "Professor Umbridge must know you're out of your beds... Minerva, go and head her off- tell her any story..."

Professor McGonagall was gone in a swish of tartan.

"He says he'll be delighted" said a bored voice behind Dumbledore. With a start, Emma realised it was Phineas. "My great-great-grandson has always had an odd taste in house-guests."

"Come here, then" Dumbledore said to Harry, Emma and the Weasleys. "And quickly, before anyone else joins us."

They gathered around Dumbledore's desk.

"You have all used a Portkey before?" asked Dumbledore and they nodded (Emma muttered "unfortunately"), each reaching out to touch some part of the blackened kettle. "Good. One the count of three, then... one... two..."

Emma had a sudden feeling, like she wanted to attack Dumbledore; and it scared her. All she wanted to do was sinking her fangs into Dumbledore's neck and kill him, poison him with her very own poison that there is no cure for.

"...three."

Emma felt a powerful jerk and she found herself on the floor of Sirius house.

"Back again, the blood-traitor brats. Is it true their father's dying?" said one voice.

"OUT!" roared a second voice.

Harry and Emma scrambled to their feet.

"Whoa" said Emma and she collapsed. George quickly caught her.

"Are you okay?" he asked, worried.

Emma cursed the Portkey and tried to stand up again.

"Wow, watch the mouth Emma" said Fred, attempting to make a joke.

"Ha ha, very funny" said Emma, trying to keep her balance.

Sirius hurried to them, looking anxious.

"What's going on?" he said, stretching out a hand to help Ginny up. "Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured..."

"Ask harry and Emma" said Fred.

"Yeah, I want to hear this for myself" said George.

Emma glanced at Harry and told the story. When Emma had finished, Fred, George and Ginny continued to stare at him for a moment. Emma did not know whether it was her imagination or not, but he fancied there was something accusatory in their looks. Well, if they were going to blame them just for seeing them attack, she was glad she had not told them that she had been inside the snake at the time.

"Is mum here?" said Fred, turning to Sirius.

"She probably doesn't even know what's happened yet" said Sirius. "The important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere. I expect Dumbledore's letting Molly know now."

Then they Weasleys started to argue with Sirius because he wouldn't let them go to St. Mungo's to see their dad. It was really doing Emma's head in just listening to them. Then they all started shouting.

"QUITE" Emma shouted over the top of all of them. "Now, I know he's your father and everything but you need to wait. So can you please just sit down and wait. Or so help me, I will make you!" said Emma warningly, glaring at them all.

Fred and George still looked Mutinous. Ginny, however, took a few steps over to the nearest chair and sank into it. Harry looked at Ron, who made a funny movement somewhere between a nod and a shrug, and they sat down too. The twins glared at Sirius for another minute, then took seats either side of Ginny,

"That's right" said Sirius encouragingly "come on, let's all...let's all have a drink while we're waiting. _Accio Butterbeer!_"

He raised his wand as he spoke and bottles came flying towards them out of the pantry, skidded along the table, scattering the debris of Sirius's meal, and stopped neatly in front of the seven of them. They all drank, and for a while the only sounds were those of the crackling of the kitchen fire and the soft thud of their bottles on the table.

Emma knew she didn't have poison; she only had a sort of venom that changed a human to a vampire. That was it, but then what was that feeling she had in the office? Of course, she knew that Harry had felt it too.

Suddenly, a burst of fire in midair illuminated the dirty plates in front of them and, as they gave cries of shock, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud on to the table, accompanied by a single golden phoenix tail feather.

Emma snatched it up and handed it to George. He shook his head and handed it back to her.

"You read it."

She nodded and opened it up. _'Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send you news as soon as I can. Mum.'_

George looked around the table.

"Still alive..." he said slowly. "But that makes it sound..."

Emma let her guard slip just for one second but it was enough. A single tear ran down her face. George wiped it away.

"He's going to be okay" he said.

"You don't know that. We all don't know that. And I can't see" she said, standing up abruptly and started to pass up and down. George got up and took her hand.

"Sit down" he said and guided her towards a chair. He pulled out a chair and sat down next to her, pulling her head into his lap. She closed her eyes and hoping that, when she opened them, she would be in bed after what seemed like a very long nightmare. Only, when she opened her eyes, she was still in Sirius's kitchen, still in Georges lap. Silly, she couldn't dream, let alone have nightmares.

Fred fell into a doze, his head lolling sideways on to his shoulder. Ginny was curled like a cat on her chair, but her eyes were open. George was absentmindedly combing Emma's hair causing her to close her eyes and fell asleep comfortable.

Emma woke with a start when the kitchen door opened to revile Mrs Weasley. Emma jumped up, looking at her.

"He's going to be all right" she said, he voice weak with tiredness. "He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now; he's going to take the morning off work."

"Yes" Emma whispered and hugged George. A single tear fell down her face as she looked at Sirius. Sirius wasn't going to be as lucky and there was nothing Emma could do about it.

"Breakfast!" said Sirius loudly and joyfully, jumping to his feet, completely oblivious to Emma's tears for him. "Where's that accursed house-elf? Kreacher! KREACHER!"

But Kreacher did not answer the summons.

"Kreacher, can you please come and make breakfast for us" said Emma softly.

Kreacher came scurrying into the room and bowed deeply to Emma.

"Of course Mistress, I will do anything for my Mistress" he said in a croaky voice and scuttled off towards the pantry to get some food.

"How did you do that? Kreacher has only answered to people before Sirius" said Fred, incredulous.

"I asked him nicely. If you want something done, you ask nicely. Be treated the way you want to be treated" she said calmly, sitting back in her seat.

"How can you treat him like that?" said Sirius disgustedly. Emma snapped her head to him.

"Because I don't want to be betrayed by him. I don't want to die the night we will have to fight, Sirius. You better start treating him nicely or you will die" she said, glaring at him.

When Mad-Eye and Tonks turned up to escort them across London, they greeted them gleefully, laughing at the bowler hat Mad-Eye was wearing at an angle to conceal his magical eye and assuring him, truthfully, that Tonks, whose hair was short and bright pink again, would attract far less attention on the Underground.

"Harry, can I talk to you" said Emma just before they left. "And you too Ginny." They both looked at her. "Harry, you are not being possessed and Ginny can prove it."

"Of course I can. Harry, do you remember any plant periods where you didn't know what you did or how you got somewhere?" asked Ginny, catching on.

"No" said Harry.

"So you are not being possessed" said Ginny and Emma together. Harry felt as if a great big weight being lifted of his chest and he grinned.

"Thanks you two" he said.

"I'm your li'le sis, I'm supposed to help you with this type of stuff" Emma winked. "And Ginny's your friend; she's supposed to help you with this type of stuff."

"Hurry up you three" growled Mad-Eye and all three of them ran out of the house.

Emma took Georges hand and they walked towards London. They walked for quite some time until they reached a shop that was closed.

Emma let go of George's hand- George imitable missed the contact- and spoke to the dummy in the window "Heyya, we're here to see Arthur Weasley." Then she stepped through the glass after the Dummy gave a short nod.

Finally, they reached Mr Weasley's room.

"We'll wait outside, Molly" Tonks said. "Arthur won't want too many visitors at once... it ought to be just the family first."

Emma and Harry drew back along with Tonks and Mad-eye but Mrs Weasley reached out a hand and pushed them through the door, saying "Don't be silly, you two. Arthur wants to thank you."

"Hello" Mr Weasley called, throwing the Prophet aside. "Bill just left, Molly, had to get back to work, but he says he'll drop in on you later."

"How are you Arthur?" asked Mrs Weasley, bending down to kiss his cheek and looking anxiously into his face. "You're still looking a bit peaky."

"I feel absolutely fine" said Mr Weasley brightly, holding out his good arm to give Ginny a hug.

"He's going to be fine, Mrs Weasley. I doubled and tripled checked. I have also added him to my list of jobs to check on."

"If only they could take the bandages off, I'd be fit to go home."

"Why can't they take them off, Dad?" asked Fred.

"Well, I start bleeding like mad every time they try" said Mr Weasley cheerfully. "It seems there was some rather unusual kind of poison in the snake's fangs that keeps wounds open."

"Yes, technically, your suppose to bleed to death" said Emma with a small smile. "You're one of the lucky ones."

"How do you know this?" asked Ron, turning to Emma.

"Mouldy-warts decided to send his pet on me when I was out in the woods one night. Of course, it didn't kill me cuz I'm Mrs Vampy but still" said Emma in a baby voice. "Mouldy-warts is very stupid."

"They're sure they'll find an antidote, though; they say they've had much worse cases than mine, and in the meantime I just have to keep taking a Blood-Replenishing Potion every hour. But that fellow over there" Mr Weasley said, dropping his voice and nodding towards the be opposite in which a man lay looking green and sickly and staring at the ceiling. "Bitten by a werewolf, poor chap. No cure at all.

"A werewolf?" whispered Mrs Weasley, looking alarmed. "Is he safe in a public ward? Shouldn't he be in a private room?"

"It's two weeks till full moon" Emma reminded her and walked over to the man. "Hi" she said softly and the man looked at her.

"Who are you?" he almost growled.

"My name is Emma. I just wanted to let you know that it's not the end of the world. I know a werewolf personally and he does just fine. I'm a vampire and I'm doing great."

"I tell you what, I'll give you another bite if you don't shut up" he growled and Emma sprang away.

"Alright mate, I'm just trying to help" he said with her hands in the air like a surrender and walked back over to the Weasleys and Harry.

"What did he say?" asked George.

"Said he'd give me another bite if I didn't shut up" Emma said, glancing over at the man.

"So, you going to tell us what happened, Dad?" asked Fred before George could have a go at the man.

"Well, you already know, don't you" said Mr Weasley and Emma rolled her eyes at him.

"Yeah, more than you think. And probably more than you think" she said bitterly. Mr and Mrs Weasley looked at her in amazement.

"How do you...?" Mr Weasley started but Emma cut him off.

"Please, don't insult me, I'm clever than I look and I'm a vampire remember?" said Emma with a laugh.

"Uh-huh, now, Mad-eye and Tonks are outside, Arthur, they want to come and see you. And you lot wait outside" Mrs Weasley added to her children and Harry and Emma. "You can come and say goodbye afterwards. Go on."

They trooped back into the corridor. Mad-eye and Tonks went in and closed the door of the ward behind them. Fred raised his eyebrows.

"Fine" he said coolly, rummaging in his pockets "be like that. Don't tell us anything."

"Looking for there?" said George, holding out three what looked like a tangle of flesh-coloured string.

"And these" said Emma, holding out another two.

"You pick a good girlfriend" Fred grinned. "Let's see if St Mungo's puts Imperturbable Charms on its word doors, shall we?"

He and George disentangled the strings and separated the two Extendable Ears from each other. Fred and George handed them around. Harry and Emma hesitated to take one.

"Gon on, you two, take it! You saved Dad's life. If anyone's got the right to eavesdrop on him, it's you."

Grinning in spite of themselves, Harry and Emma took the end of the string and inserted it into their ears as the twins had done.

"Ok, go!" Fred whispered.

The flesh-coloured strings wriggled like long skinny worms and snaked under the door. At first, they could hear nothing, and then they jumped as they heard Tonks whispering as clearly as though she were standing right besides them.

"...they searched the whole area but couldn't find the snake anywhere. It just seems to have vanished after it attacked you, Arthur... but You-Know-Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?"

Emma's eyes glazed over and rolled her eyes. "Okay, that's so not going to be interesting." She whispered "come back" and rolled it up neatly.

"Is it not?" asked Fred, disappointed and Emma shook her head.

"Well, that sucks" said George and they all rolled them in again. Emma wondered if Harry was ever going to understand. When was Dumbledore going to tell him?


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Christmas at St Mungo's

Sirius's delight at having the house fill again, and especially at having Harry back, was infectious. He was no longer their sullen host of the summer, now he seemed determined that everyone should enjoy themselves as much, if not more than they would have done at Hogwarts, and he worked tirelessly in the run-up to Christmas Day, cleaning and decorating with their help, so that by the time they all went to be on Christmas Eve the house was barely recognisable. The tarnished chandeliers were no longer hung with cobwebs but with garlands of holly and gold and silver streamers; magical snow glittered in heaps over the threadbare carpets; a great Christmas tree, obtained by Mundungus and decorated with live fairies, blocked Sirius's family tree from view, and even the stuffed elf-heads on the wall wore Father Christmas hats and beards.

Emma woke on Christmas morning to find a stack of presents at the foot of her bed. She waved her wand and appeared in Harry's and Ron's room.

"Heyya" she said, sitting herself down.

"Hey" said Harry. She started opening her presents. This was normal thing for them. Emma would always come into their rooms any time in the morning before she would go and let them get changed.

"Hey Emma, thanks for the present" said Ron, holding up a '_how to look after your own broomstick_' kit.

"You're welcome" she smiled. "Okay, now that is just so awesome" she exclaimed, holding up a red top that wrapped around and hand sequins around the neck. It was so pretty. "Thanks Harry."

Then Emma giggled. Harry had just held up a dreadful painting of Harry that she suspected was of Harry. He had just turned it upside-down to see whether it looked better that way when, with a loud crack, Fred and George Apparated at the foot of Harry's bed.

"Merry Christmas" said Emma said, jumping up and giving George a quick kiss.

"Merry Christmas" said George. "Don't go downstairs for a bit."

"Why not?" said Ron.

"Mum's crying again" said Fred heavily. "Percy sent back his Christmas jumper."

"With a note" added George. "Hasn't asked how Dad is or visited or anything."

"Why that little..." Emma growled but she didn't know a bad enough word that would cover Percy's behaviour.

"Uh-huh and we tried to comfort her" said Fred, moving around the bed to look at Harry's portrait. "Told Percy's nothing more than a humongous pile of rat droppings."

"Didn't work" said George, taking a Chocolate Frog that Emma offered him and threw one at Fred. "So Lupin took over. Best let him cheer her up before we go down for breakfast, I reckon."

"What's that supposed to be anyway?" asked Fred, squinting at Dobby's painting. "Looks like gibbon with two black eyes."

"It's Harry!" said George, pointing at the back of the picture "says do on the back."

"Good likeness" said Fred grinning. Suddenly, he was hanging upside down by his ankle. "ARGHHHHHHHH let me down!" he said, thrashing about.

"Not until you apologise to Harry" Emma grinned at him, moving her wand so he was dangling over the floor.

"Sorry Harry" said Fred reluctantly and Emma lowered her wand. Fred collapsed to the floor in a heap. They all started laughing and soon Fred joined in.

"What's that?" asked Emma, flipping open Harry's homework planner. It sang happily _'If you've dotted the i's and crossed the t's then you may do whatever you please!_

"Hermione" they all said and laughed again.

Once Emma had finished opening her presents, she went back into her room and got dressed. She could hear the various inhabitants of the house calling 'Merry Christmas' to one another.

"Hey everyone" she said, coming into the dining room.

"Hey Emma, have you seen Kreacher anywhere?" asked Sirius.

Emma shook her head. "I'll check" she said and her eyes glazed over. She dropped all the books she was holding with a gasp.

"What?" several voices said.

"Nothing" she plastered a smile on her face. "I just got a bit of a shock. No, I don't know where Kreacher is. Soze" she said and picked up her books. they all knew that they wouldn't get any more information out of her- she was suborn like her mother- and they started on the their Christmas lunch.

One they had finished, they went to St Mungo's to visit Mr Weasley. Their trip there was quick because there was very little traffic on the roads.

The reception area looked pleasantly festive: the crustal orbs that illuminated St Mungo's had been coloured red and gold to become gigantic, glowing Christmas baubles; holly hung around every doorway; and shinning white Christmas trees covered in magical snow and icicles glittered in every corner, each one topped with a gleaming gold star. It was less crowded than the last time they had been there, although halfway across the room Harry found himself shunted aside by a witch with a Satsuma jammed up her left nostril.

"Family argument, eh?" smirked the blonde witch behind the desk. "You're the third I've seen today... Spell Damage, fourth floor."

They found Mr Weasley propped up in bed with the remains of his turkey dinner on a tray on his lap and a rather sheepish expression on his face.

"Everything all right, Arthur?" asked Mrs Weasley, after they had all greeted Mr Weasley and handed over their presents.

"Fine, fine" said Mr Weasley, a little too heartily. "You...err...haven't seen Healer Smethwyck, have you?"

"No" said Mrs Weasley suspiciously "why?"

"Nothing, nothing" said Mr Weasley airily, starting to unwrap his pile of gifts. "Well, everyone had a good day? What did you all get for Christmas? Oh Harry- this is absolutely wonderful." For he had just opened Harry's gift of fuse-wire and screwdrivers.

Mrs Weasley did not seem entirely satisfied with Mr Weasley's answer. As he husband leaned over to shake Harry's hand, she peered at the bandaging under his nightshirt.

"Arthur" she said, with a snap in her voice like a mousetrap, "you've had your bandages changed. Why have you had your bandages changed a day early, Arthur? They told me they wouldn't need doing until tomorrow."

"Uh-oh" Emma breathed.

"What?" said Mr Weasley, looking rather frightened and pulling the bed covers higher up his chest. "No, no- it's nothing- it's- I..."

He seemed to deflate under Mrs Weasley's piercing gaze.

"Well- now don't get upset, Molly, but Augustus Pye had an idea... he's the Trainee Healer, you know, a lovely young chap and very interested in... um... complementary medicine... I mean some of these old Muggle remedies... well, they're called stitches, Lolly, and they work very well on- one Muggle wounds..."

Mrs Weasley let out an ominous noise somewhere between a shriek and a snarl. Lupin strolled away from the bed and over to the werewolf, who had no visitors and was looking rather wistfully at the crowd around Mr Weasley,; Bill muttered something about getting himself a cup of tea and Fred, George and Emma leapt up to accompany him, grinning.

"Anyone wants make a bet on how long dad last?" grinned Fred as they ran up the stairs.

"Nah" laughed Emma. Once they had reached the fifth floor, Bill and Fred went off to get the tea leaving George and Emma to go and find a table.

"Here's one" said Emma and she quickly sat down gracefully.

"How do you do that?" asked George, also taking a seat.

"What?" asked Emma confused.

"You know, be so graceful and all that" said George as casually as possible. He actually wanted to know as much as he could about her. Emma laughed.

"Well, you know, it would be pretty hard to find your food if you're a blundering elephant that scares its prey away" she said, still laughing and George joined in.

"What you two laughing at?" asked Fred as him and Bill joined them at the table.

"Nothing" Emma said. "Thanks" she added as Fred handed her a cup.

"I'm curious..." Bill began but Emma cut him off.

"You want to know why I didn't let Harry and the rest know about me, why I couldn't go with Harry to the Dursleys and how I became a vampire" she said with a grin.

"Well, that just about sums it up" chuckled Emma.

"I couldn't let Harry know about because he had to understand that some things he has to do alone. I might not always be there for him, neither might Dumbledore.

I couldn't go to the Dursleys because I'm a vampire and the Dursleys already hat wizards and witches. They don't even know about vampires. For all we knew, they could have come at me with torches and stakes.

Also, when I was about 2 months old, a vampire kidnapped me from my family and changed me. Luckily though, someone form the Ministry found me and returned me to my family though the changed was already complete. I almost killed the cat which everyone- including baby Harry- found pretty funny. I was deadly so Dumbledore took me in to train me against my thirst and I returned. Then, 2 days later, Voldemort came" said Emma, ignoring the shudders at Voldemort's name.

"How can you stand saying the name?" asked Fred.

"Fear of the name only increases the fear in its self and, anyway, if any death-eater comes at me, I'll rip their throats open" replied Emma fiercely "because coming at me means you're coming at my family and friends and I ain't having anyone hurting them."

There was a short pause, and then Fred said "Well said, Emma, well said."

"Yeah, hear to hear" said George.

"Spoken like a true friend, now, we better get back because I reckon Mum and Dad will be done shouting at each other by now" said Bill and they all, after handing back their cups, hurried back to Mr Weasley's room.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Occlumency

Kreacher, it transpired, had been lurking in the attic. Sirius said he had found him up there, covered in dust, no doubt looking for more relics of the Black family to hide in his cupboard. Though Sirius seemed satisfied with this story, it made Harry and Emma uneasy. Kreacher seemed to be in a better mood on his reappearance, his bitter muttering had subsided somewhat and he submitted to orders more docilely than usual, though once or twice they both caught the house-elf staring at them avidly, but always looking quickly away whenever he saw that they had noticed.

One afternoon, Emma decided she had to tell someone this and the best person for her to tell was George.

"George, can I talk to you please" she said quietly and he nodded. He followed her upstairs into his room. Luckily for them, Fred was in it.

"What's wrong?" asked George, worried, and closed the door behind him.

"It's Kreacher, he seems to be in a better mood, his muttering has subsided and he's agreeing to orders without much fuss. I don't like it. It makes me feel uneasy and I've just got a feeling that something bad is going to happen" said Emma and she felt as if a big wait had been lifted of her shoulders as she let her worried thoughts. She made a slightly reminder not to bottle up her feelings ever, ever, ever again.

"Hey, it's going to be okay. If anything bad is going to happen, you'll be the first to know" George tried to sooth her and gave her a hug. Her small body seemed to be so fragile it was almost scary.

"Thanks" she smiled at him.

"Do I get a kiss?" asked George teasingly. Emma gave him a quick kiss on the lips and laughed. George pouted. Emma rolled her eyes and got up on her tiptoes and kissed him. He lifted her up on to the bed so he didn't have to bend down so much.

Suddenly, the door opened and Fred came in. "Opps, sorry" he said politely and quickly shut the door then. Emma blushed a very deep red.

"I suppose I better go" she said and hoped down from the bed. She hurried from the room with her head down and brushed past Fred.

She heard an "OOOO" and a thumped which meant that George had wacked Fred. She smiled.

On the very last day of the holidays, something happened that made Harry and Emma positively dread their return to school.

"Harry, Emma" said Mrs Weasley, poking her head into Harry's and Ron's bedroom, where Ron and Harry were playing wizard chess watched by Emma "could you come down to the kitchen? Professor Snape would like a work with you."

"What?" asked Ron, Harry and Emma together in shock.

"What does Snape want with me and Harry?" asked Emma.

"Professor Snape, dear" said Mrs Weasley reprovingly. "Now come on, quickly, he says he can't stay long."

""What's he want with you two?" said Ron, looking unnerved as Mrs Weasley withdrew from the room. "You haven't done anything, have you?"

"No!" said Harry indignantly and Emma shook her head looking really confused. She tried to rack her brain but came up with nothing. That was strange, really strange.

A minute or two later, they pushed open the kitchen door to find Sirius and Snape both seated at the long kitchen table, glaring in opposite directions. The silence between them was heavy with mutual dislike. A letter lay open on the table in front of Sirius,

"Err" said Harry, to announce his presence.

Snape looked around to Emma and Harry, his face framed between curtains of greasy black hair.

"Sit down, you two."

"You know" said Sirius loudly, leaning back on his rear chair legs and speaking tot eh ceiling as if he couldn't bear to talk to Snape "I think I prefer it if you didn't give orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see."

An ugly flush suffused Snape's pallid face. Harry and Emma sat down either side of Sirius, facing Snape across the table.

"I supposed to see you alone, Potters" said Snape, the familiar sneer curling his mouth "but Black..."

"I'm their Godfather" said Sirius, louder than ever.

"I am here on Dumbledore's orders" said Snape, whose voice, by contrast, was becoming more and more quietly waspish "but by all means stay, Black, I know you like to feel... involved."

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Sirius, letting his chair fall back on to all four legs with a loud bang.

"Merely that I am sure you must feel- ah- frustrated by the fact that you can do nothing useful" Snape laid a delicate stress on the word "for the Order."

It was Sirius's turn to flush. Snape's lip curled in triumph.

"You two" Emma scolded them. "Can you just get straight to the point cuz I'm getting bored of hearing you two bickering all the time?"

"The Headmaster has sent me to tell you two, Potter, that it is his wish for you to study Occlumency this term."

"Oh. But I don't need it, I can already block things I don't want Voldemort to know" said Emma defensively, glaring at Snape.

You have to because the Headmaster thinks it a good idea" said Snape smoothly. "You will receive private lessons once a week, but you will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Dolores Umbridge. You understand?"

"Why would I tell that ugly old cow?" asked Emma, still glaring. Sirius and Harry flashed a grin at her and Emma swore she saw a faint smile on Snape. Emma realised that she was being ridiculous so she- with a lot of trouble- got rid of the glare and put on a neutral expression.

"Who's going to teach us?" asked Harry.

Snape raised an eyebrow.

"I am" he said.

"Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry and Emma?" asked Sirius aggressively. "Why you?"

"Because it's best if Snape does it, that way, Dumbledore can get on with trying to figure out how to kills Voldemort" Emma breathed, he eyes slightly unfocused.

"Well then, that seems to have been cleared up" said Snape and he whipped around and left the room, his black cloak trailing along behind.

Just then, the door opened and the Weasley family plus Hermione came in, all looking very happy, with Mr Weasley walking proudly in their midst dressed in a pair of stripped pyjamas covered by a mackintosh.

"Cured!" he announced brightly to them. "Completely cured!"

"That's wonderful Mr Weasley" Emma grinned and hugged him.

"Yes, isn't it?" said Mrs Weasley, leading her husband forward to a chair. "Healer Smethwyck worked his magic in the end, found an antidote to whatever that snake's got in its fangs, and Arthur's learned his lesson about dabbling in Muggle medicine, haven't you dear?" she added, rather menacingly.

"Yes, Molly, dear" said Mr Weasley meekly.

Everyone laughed and Mrs Weasley bustled off to make dinner. Emma, Hermione, Harry and Ron made their way up stairs so they could talk privately together.

"Dumbledore wants to stop you having those dreams about Voldemort" said Hermione at once. "Well, you won't be sorry not to have them anymore, will you?"

"Extra lessons with Snape?" said Ron, sounding aghast. "I'd rather have the nightmares!"

"Yeah, but Hermione, in the future I mean, me and Harry are gonna need these dreams to help us get rid of Voldemort" sighed Emma, grimacing. "I tell you what though; I'm not looking forward to it."

**AN: I am not going to be here until this Sunday because I am going away. Sorry! Please forgive me. I will be happy to hear about how my story is so fare though **** please review, I really want to hear your thoughts on Sunday. **


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

First Occlumency lesson with Snape

They were to return to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus the following day, escorted once again by Tonks and Lupin, both of whom were eating breakfast in the kitchen when Harry, Ron, Hermione and Emma come down next morning. The adults seemed to have been midway through a whispered conversation as they opened the door; all of them looked round hastily and feel silent.

After a hurried breakfast, they all pulled on jackets and scarves against the chilly January morning. Emma and Harry found themselves being shunted out into the icy winter air, with Tonks (today heavily disguised as a tall woman with iron-grey hair) chivvying him down the steps.

The door of number twelve slammed shut behind them. They followed Lupin down the front steps. As they reached the pavement, on either side of it stretched sideways, squeezing it out of sight. One blink later, it had gone.

"Come on, the quicker we get on the bus the better" said Tonks, and Emma noticed the nervous glance she threw around the square. Lupin flung out his right arm.

BANG.

A violently purple, triple-decker bus had appeared out of thing air in front of them, narrowly avoiding the nearest lamppost, which jumped backwards out of its way.

A thin, pimply, jug-eared youth in a purple uniform leapt down on to the pavement and said "Welcome to the..."

"Yes, yes, we know, thank you" said Tonks swiftly. "One, on, get on..."

And she shoved Harry and Emma forwards the steps, past the conductors, who goggled at Harry and Emma as they passed.

"Ere- it's 'Arry and Em...!"

"If you shout their names I will curse you into oblivion" muttered Tonks menacingly, now shunting Ginny and Hermione forwards.

"I've always wanted to go on this thing" said Ron happily, joining Harry and Emma on board and looking around.

"Err, no, Ron. Last time I went on here, it was not fun at all. I went to Hogwarts with a twisted ankle" said Emma, sitting down wearily. Ron looked confused but neither Emma nor Harry explained.

"Looks like we'll have to split up" said Tonks briskly, looking around for empty chairs. "Fred, George and Emma, if you just take those seats at the back... Remus can stay with you."

Emma nodded and they all walked to the back of the bus. She sighed as she sat down and grabbed the nearest pole.

"Hold on tight if you want to save yourself from pain" she advised them and the rest grabbed them grabbed poles.

As they all handed Stan eleven Sickles each, the bus set off again, swaying ominously. It rumbled around Grimmauld Place, weaving on and off the pavement, then, with another tremendous BANG, they were all flung backwards. Everyone's chair toppled right over but Emma just stood up gracefully while everyone else fell to the floors.

"Told you so" she said as they struggled to their feet. "Here" she added and clapped her hands. Their seats stood up and they all had a strongly suspected that they had been glued to the floor.

BANG

And sure enough, when the bus started again, the stairs stayed were they were.

"Thanks Em" said Ginny, realizing and sighed with relief. Emma was slightly shocked at the nick-name but she liked it. She grinned and sat herself down. She griped on to her chair and let her imagination run wild. At last they rolled to a halt outside the gates to Hogwarts.

Lupin and Tonks helped them off the bus with their luggage, then got off to say goodbye. Harry glanced up at the three decks of the Knight Bus and saw all the passengers staring down at them, noses flat against the windows.

"What you lookin' at" Emma shouted at them with a fierce glare and the passengers all got back to whatever they were doing. Then she grinned and ran off into the castle after shouting goodbye to them.

Emma met up with Harry outside of Snape's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in" came Snape's cold voice and Emma opened the door. "Shut the door behind you, Potters."

Harry closed the door and they both had a horrible feeling that they were imprisoning themselves.

"Well, you know why you are here" said Snape and Emma bit back a retort. "The Headmaster has asked me to teach both of you Occlumency. I can only hope that you prove more adept at it than at Potions, Mr Potter."

"Right" said Emma tersely.

"This may not be the lesson you are used to, Miss Potter" said Snape, his eyes narrowed malevolently "but I am still your teacher and you will therefore call me 'sir' or 'Professor' at all times."

"Yes...sir" said Emma bitterly.

"Now, Occlumency. As I told you back in you dear godfather's kitchen, this branch of magic seals the mind against magical intrusion and influence."

"And why does Professor Dumbledore think we need it, sir?" said Harry, looking directly into Snape's eyes and wondering whether Snape would answer.

Snape looked back at them for a moment and then said contemptuously "Surely even you could have worked that out by now, Potter? The Dark Lord is highly skilled at Legilimency..."

"What's that, sir?"

"It is the ability to extract feeling and memories from another person's mind..."

"He can read minds?" said Harry quickly, his worst fears confirmed.

"No Harry" said Emma, silencing Snape with a glare "the mind is not a book. It is true, however, that those who have mastered Legilimency are able, under certain conditions, to delve into the minds of their victims and to interpret their findings correctly. Voldemort, for instance, almost always knows when somebody is lying to hi9m. Only those skilled at Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings and memories that contradict the lie, and so can utter falsehood in his presence without detection."

Harry had a feeling that Emma had just spared him the feeling of humiliation and, sure enough, the look on Snape's face was livid.

"Well then, why do we have to learn Occlumency?" asked Harry, sparing Emma from Snape's nasty retorts.

Snape eyed Harry, tracing his mouth with one long, thin finger as he did so.

"The usual rules do not seem to apply with you two Potters. The curse that failed to kill you seems to have forged some kind of connection between you and the Dark Lord. The evidence suggests that at times, when your mind is most relaxed and vulnerable- when you are asleep or daydreaming, for instance- you are sharing the Dark Lord's thoughts and emotion. The Headmaster thinks it inadvisable for this to continue. He wishes me to teach you how to close you mind to the Dark Lord."

Emma closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. "I really, really, really wish you wouldn't call him the Dark Lord that is _so _old school." She rolled her eyes. Only Voldemort's followers used that name and she really hated it. Why couldn't Snape get out of the habit before she lost her mind?

Snape obviously chose to ignore her because he said "it appears that the Dark Lord has been unaware of the connection between you and himself until very recently. Up till now it seems that you have been experiencing his emotions, and sharing his thoughts, without his being any the wiser. However, the vision you had shortly before Christmas represented such a powerful incursion upon the Dark Lord's thoughts so you seem to have visited the snake's mind because that was where the Dark Lord was at that particular moment. He was possessing the snake at the time and so you dreamed you were inside it, too" said Snape so coldly now that Emma found it really hard to suppress a shiver.

"And he might try and make us do things?" asked Harry. "Sir?" he added hurriedly.

"He might" said Snape, still sounding cold and unconcerned. "This brings us back to Occlumency."

Snape pulled out his wand from an inside picket of his robed and Emma automatically pulled out hers while Harry tensed, but Snape merely raised the wand to his temple and placed its tip into the greasy roots of his hair. When he withdrew it, some silvery substance came away, stretching from temple to wand like a thick gossamer strand, which broke as he pulled the wand away from it and fell gracefully into the Pensieve, where it swirled silvery-white, neither gas nor liquid. Twice more, Snape raised the wand to his temple and deposited the silvery substance into the stone basin, then, without offering any explanation of his behaviour, he picked up the Pensieve carefully, removed it to a shelf out of their way and returned to face Harry and Emma with his wand held at the ready.

"Stand up and take out you wand, Mr Potter" said Snape.

Harry got to his feet and Emma moved to the side, ready to strike if necessary. Harry and Snape faced each other with the desk between them.

"You may use your wand to attempt to disarm me, or defend yourself in any other way you can think of" said Snape.

"And what are you going to do?" Harry asked and Emma noticed him eyeing Snape's wand apprehensively.

"I am about to attempt to break into your mind" said Snape softly. "We are going to see how well you resist. I have been told that you have already shown aptitude at resisting the Imperius Curse. You will find that similar powers are needed for this... brace yourself, now. Legilimens!"

Emma watched helplessly as Harry fell to the floor and winced when one of his knees collided with the leg of Snape's desk. Emma looked at Snape, who had lowered his wand and was rubbing his wrist. There was an angry weal there, like a scorch mark.

"Did you mean to produce a Stinging Hex?" asked Snape coolly.

"No" said Harry bitterly, getting up from the floor.

"I thought not" said Snape, watching him closely. "You let me get in too far. You lost control."

"Did you see everything I saw" Harry asked.

"Flashes of it" said Snape, his lip curling. "To whom did the dog belong?"

"My Aunt Marge" Harry muttered and Emma realised with a jolt that this must been that this Marge was her Aunt to.

"Well, let's see how well your sister does" said Snape and Emma moved back into the light

She raised her wand swashed her mind of everything. Snape raised his wand to and said "Legilimens!"

"Protago" she said and waved her wand. Snape was blown backwards into the wall behind him. "Sorry, over did it a bit" Emma smiled and lowered her wand.

"Very good, now Mr Potter, Miss Potter, I want you back here same time on Wednesday. We will continue work then. For homework, you are to rid your mind of all emotion every night before you sleep or, in your case, whenever you go to sleep..." at this Snape mouth curved into a smile that both Emma and Harry hated the most "...empty it, make it blank and calm, you understand?"

"Yes Sir" said Harry and Emma together though they were barely listening.

"And be warned, you two... I shall know if you have no practised..."

"Right" said Harry and both he and Emma all most ran out of the room. Harry's head was throbbing and Emma threw him a sympathetic look. They both headed for the library because Emma had seen them there.

When they both sat down opposite Ron and Hermione, Emma was slightly surprised to see George come over and sit next to her as if he knew that there was something wrong with her.

"How did it o?" Hermione whispered, and then, looking concerned. "Are you two alright?"

Emma shook her head and buried her head in George's shoulder. Even though Snape hadn't managed to get inside her head, the amount of power that went into the curse had knocked the energy out of her.

"Yeah...fine...dunno...not so much" sighed Harry and Emma rolled her eyes, wincing as a pain shot through her scare on her shoulder.

"I've got to get back to the common room, Fred want my help with something" said George, getting up. He gave Emma a quick kiss and darted out of the Library.

When they got to the common room, the whole place was packed and full of shrieks of laughter and excitement; Fred and George were demonstrating their latest bit of joke shop merchandise.

"Headless Hats!" shouted George, as Fred waved a pointed hat decorated with a fluffy pink feather at the watching students. "Two Galleons each, watch Fred, now!"

Fred swept the hat on his head, beaming. For a second he merely looked rather stupid; then both hat and head vanished.

Several girls screamed, but everyone else was roaring with laughter.

"And off again!" shouted George, and Fred's had groped for a moment in what seemed to be thin air over his shoulder; then his head reappeared as he swept the pink-feathered hat from it.

"How do those hats work, then?" said Hermione, distracted from her homework and watching Fred and George closely. "I mean, obviously it's some kind of Invisibility Spell, but it's rather clever to have extended the field of invisibility beyond the boundaries of the charmed object... I'd imagine the charm wouldn't have a very long life though."

Emma merely closed her eyes.

"I'm going to have to do this tomorrow" Harry muttered, pushing the books he had just taken out of his bag back inside it.

"Well, write it in your homework planner then!" said Hermione encouragingly. "So you don't forget!"

Harry, Ron and Emma exchanged looks as Harry reached into his bag, withdrew the planner and opened it tentatively.

"_Don't leave it till later, you big second-rater!" _chided the book as Harry scribbled down Umbridge's homework. Hermione beamed at it.

"I've going to go" sighed Emma and got up, leaving the common room and it's noise to the peaceful night.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The Beetle at Bay

Emma was at all shocked when she heard the news that Hagrid was now on prophation. She knew because of the things that he showed the classes were either highly dangerous, thought as dangerous or just plain boring. The fact that ten Death Eaters had escaped seemed to not bother anyone now that they heard about Hagrid.

Those who came from Wizarding families had grown up hearing the names of these Death Eaters spoken with almost as much fear as Voldemort's; the crimes they had committed during the days of Voldemort's reign of terror were legendary. There were relatives of their victims among the Hogwarts students, who now found themselves the unwilling objects of a gruesome sort of reflected fame as they walked the corridors; Susan Bones, whose uncle, aunt and cousins had all died at the hands of one of the ten, said miserably as they passed in the corridors that she now had a good idea what it felt like to be Harry and Emma.

"And I don't know how you stand it- it's horrible" she said bluntly.

It was true that Harry and Emma were the subject of much renewed muttering and pointing in the corridors these days, yet they thought they detected a slight difference in the tone of the whisperer's voices. They sounded curious rather than hostile now, and once or twice they overheard snatches of conversation that suggested that the speakers were not satisfied with the _Prophet's _version of how and why ten Death Eaters had managed to break out of the Azkaban fortress. In their confusion and fear, these doubters now seemed to be turning to the only other explanation available to them; the one that Harry, Emma and Dumbledore had been expounding since the previous year.

It was not only the student's mood that had changed. It was now quite common to come across two or three teachers conversing in low, urgent whispers in the corridors, breaking off their conversations the moment they saw students approaching.

"They obviously can't talk freely in the staff room any more" said Hermione in a low voice as she, Emma, Harry and Ron passed Professors McGonagall, Flitwick and Sprout huddled together outside the Charms classroom one day.

"Not with Umbridge in the staff room anyway" sighed Emma, glancing at the teachers that were now behind them.

"Reckon they know anything new?" said Ron, gazing back over his shoulder at the three teachers just like Emma.

"If they do, we're not going to hear about it, are we?" said Harry angrily. "Not after Decree... what number are we on now?"

"Twenty-six" said Emma bitterly for new notices had appeared on the house notice boards the morning after the news of the Azkaban breakout:

_BY ORDER OF THE HGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS_

_Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach._

_The above is in accordance with Education Decree Number Twenty-Six_

_Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor_

This latest Decree had been the subject of a great number of jokes among the students. Lee Jordan had pointed out to Umbridge that by the terms of the new rule she was not allowed to tell Fred ad George off for playing Exploding Snap int he back of the class.

"Exploding Snap's got nothing to do with Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor! That's not information relating to your subject!"

When Emma next saw Lee, the back of his hand was bleeding rather badly. Emma fixed it completely with a spell she had found a couple of days ago. She had been researching because she figured she was going to need sooner or later.

Harry and Emma had thought the breakout from Azkaban might have humbled Umbridge a little, that she might have been abashed at the catastrophe that had occurred right under the nose of her beloved Fudge. It seemed, however, to have only intensified her furious desire to bring every aspect of life at Hogwarts under her personal control. She seemed determined at the very least to achieve a sacking before long, and the only question was whether it would be Professor Trelawney or Hagrid who went first.

Emma heard from the others that every single Divination and Care of Magical Creatures lesson was now conducted in the presence of Umbridge and her clipboard.

Hagrid now seemed more distant with Harry, Ron, Emma and Hermione than he had ever been before, and had expressly forbidden them to visit him after dark.

Professor Trelawney didn't seem to want to talk to Emma anymore because she seemed to be more worried about her job than anything. It did sound very strange, but Emma was starting to miss their dictions with the future now that it was gone.

It seemed to Emma that Umbridge was steadily depriving Harry of everything that made his life at Hogwarts worth living: visits to Hagrid's house, letters from Sirius, his Firebolt and Quidditch. They took revenge the only way they could- by redoubling their efforts for the DA.

They were pleased to see that all of them, even Zacharias Smith, had been spurred on to work harder than ever by the new that ten more Death Eaters were now on the loose, but in nobody was this improvement more pronounced than in Neville. The news of his parent's attacker's escape had wrought a strange and even slightly alarming change in him. he had not once mentioned his meeting with Harry, Ron and Hermione on the closed ward in St Mungo's- which they had all told Emma about- and, taking their lead from him, they had kept quiet about it too. Nor had he said anything on the subject of Bellatrix and her fellow torturer's escape. In fact, Neville barely spoke during the DA meetings any more, but worked relentlessly on every new jinx and counter-curse Harry and Emma taught them, his plump face screwed up in concentration, apparently indifferent to injuries or accidents and working harder than anyone else int he room. He was improving so fast it was quite unnerving and when Harry and Emma taught them the Shield Charm- a means of deflecting minor jinxes so that they rebounded upon the attacker- only Hermione mastered the charm faster than Neville.

With so much to worry about and so much to do- startling amounts of homework that frequently kept the fifth-years working until past midnight, secret DA sessions and regular classes with Snape- January seemed to be passing alarmingly fast. If it wasn't for Emma and Hermione, Harry and Rob would be so far behind on their homework it would be unbelievable and, before they knew it, February had arrived, bringing with it wetter and warmer weather and the prospect of the second Hogsmeade visit of the year.

The one thing that made Emma's day brighten up completely was, when she was getting dressed, she found a bunch of lavenders with a black ribbon wrapped around it in a bow to keep it together and a small note:

_Valentines is here  
Knowing you are here  
You will always be near  
My heart will never be the same  
Beneath my skin, my soul lies waiting for you  
Everyday I think of you when I feel blue  
Never give up hope  
Remembering the first kiss  
All I ask is to be with you  
And for you to be my Valentine  
For I will always cherish your heart in mine_

_From _

_Your one and true love_

_Xxx_

Emma held up the lavender and breathed in its lovely smell. How did George know lavender was her favourite flower? 'He is so sweet' thought Emma as she read the poem. She wondered what he would think of hers.

As she walked towards the Great Hall for breakfast, she bumped into Fred and George on the way down.

"I'll meet you in the hall" said Fred and winked at George and Emma before caring on his way.

"Hey" said Emma, giving George a quick kiss. "How did you know lavender was my favourite flower?"

"I saw you last week picking lavender on the field last week and you seemed to really love them so I thought I'll get you some" said George smiling.

Emma laughed. "You were right" she grinned.

"Hey, do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me?" asked George suddenly after a long pause.

"Sure" said Emma, trying to sound casual and failing miserable. George chuckled and pulled her behind a cupboard where they had a long snog. Emma knew just then that she had found her one and true love.

Emma arrived at breakfast in high spirits just in time for the arrival of the post owls. Hermione was tugging a letter from a break of an unfamiliar brown owl as she sat down.

"And about time! If it hadn't come today..." she said, eagerly tearing open the envelope and pulling out a small piece of parchment. Her eyes sped from left to right as she read through the messaged and a grimly please expression spread across her face.

"Listen, Harry, Emma" she said, looking up at them "this is really important. Do you think you could meet me in the Three Broomsticks around midday?"

"Well... I dunno" said Harry uncertainly. "Cho might be expecting me to spend the whole day with her. We never said what we were going to do."

"And I'm going with George so I don't know either" said Emma awkwardly. Harry looked at her sideways worriedly and protectively but said nothing to Emma's relief.

"Well, bring them along if you must" said Hermione urgently. "But will you come?"

"Alright" Emma sighed reluctantly, giving up.

"Fine" said Harry shortly.

"I haven't got time to tell you now, I've got to answer this quickly." And Hermione hurried out of the Great Hall, the letter clutched in one hand and a piece of toast in the other.

"Are you coming?" Harry asked Ron, but he shook his head, looking glum.

"I can't come into Hogsmeade at all; Angelina wants a full day's training. Like it's going to help; we're the worst team ever seen. You should see Sloper and Kirke; they're pathetic, even worse than I am." He heaved a great sigh. "I dunno why Angelina won't just let me resign."

"It's because you're good when you're on form, that's why" said Harry irritably.

After breakfast, Harry and Emma headed to the Entrance Hall to meet Cho and George.

"Just be yourself and don't worry about anything" Emma breathed to them as they got closer. "That way nothing will go wrong."

Emma then left Harry and met George who was waiting for her just outside the oak front doors, looking as handsome as ever.

She had chosen to wear a sleeveless, red top hat clung to her in all the right places and a plain, white skirt that swished around her as she walked. She wore red, silky shoes without heels (George seemed to like the fact that he was a lot taller than her seen as he was about 6ft and Emma was 4ft something) and a necklace that had a female lion on it that was made out of diamonds and gold chain- he had given this to her for a present.

George seemed breath taken as she walked up to him and she smirked.

"You look beautiful" he said, taking her into his arms.

"You don't look to bad yourself" she giggled and they joined the queue of the people being sighed out by Flinch. Emma notice Flinch looking at her arrestingly and she found herself highly disturbed. When they finally got out of the Hogwarts grounds, George took Emma's hand and they walked into Hogsmeade. The High Street was full of students ambling up and down, peering into the shop windows and messing about together on the pavements.

"So, what do want to do?" asked Emma.

"Well, I know this really good club that I thought would be nice for us to go and check out" said George nervously. Emma hadn't seen so nervous since the night they first started to go out. "Is that okay?"

"Anywhere is perfect, as long as I'm with you" said Emma, grinning and George grinned back. He led her through the crowed and they soon found the place.

"Wow, this place is just... wow" Emma gapped around her as they entered the club. She didn't think this place could exist in real life, only in books.

"It's great, isn't it" said George and Emma nodded. Great didn't even cover it.

They quickly found a table and sat themselves down. They both ordered two Firewhisky (Emma was technically of age) and began to talk.

Just them, a DJ came onto the dance floor and said "now for all those couples in this room, I want you two dancing on the dance floor.

Suddenly, music started to play and 'Angles by Robbie Williams' was playing.

"May I have this dance, ma'am?" asked George, offering his hand.

Emma giggled at his politeness and said while taking his hand "Why yes you may, kind sir."

George led her to the dance floor just like other couples were and they began to slowly dance.

_I sit and wait  
does an angel contemplate my fate  
and do they know  
the places where we go  
when we´re grey and old  
´cos I´ve been told  
that salvation lets their wings unfold  
so when I'm lying in my bed  
thoughts running through my head  
and I feel that love is dead  
I'm loving angels instead  
_

Yes, Emma was George's angle and that was how it would stay, for as long as he lived and more.

_and through it all she offers me protection  
a lot of love and affection  
whether I'm right or wrong  
and down the waterfall  
wherever it may take me  
I know that life won't break me  
when I come to call she won't forsake me  
I'm loving angels instead  
_

George knew that Emma would stand by him no matter what he decided and he would do the same.

_when I'm feeling weak  
and my pain walks down a one way street  
I look above  
and I know I'll always be blessed with love  
and as the feeling grows  
she breathes flesh to my bones  
and when love is dead  
I'm loving angels instead  
_

George always understood Emma and always kept her safe and secure not matter what. He kept the pain and her demons at bay whenever she needed him to.

_and through it all she offers me protection  
a lot of love and affection  
whether I'm right or wrong  
and down the waterfall  
wherever it may take me  
I know that life won't break me  
when I come to call she won't forsake me  
I'm loving angels instead_

Just then the music stopped and they both walked back to their table, not really wanting to dance anymore.

With a jolt, Emma remembered her promise to Hermione and said slowly "George, um, well, I promised Hermione I would meet her in the Three Broomsticks and I was wondering if you wanted to come. I think she wants to do this interview to put in a magazine so the world knows that me and Harry aren't complete nutters."

George merely smiled and quoted me by saying "Anywhere is perfect, as long as I'm with you."

Emma laughed and said "yeah, you got that right" and they both headed out of the club hand in hand to the Three Broom Sticks.

When George and Emma finally reached the Three Broom Sticks, George quickly ordered two Butterbears.

"Emma, George, over here!"

Hermione was waving at them from the other side of the room. Emma and George exchanged a glance before heading towards her. Hermione was sitting at a table with the unlikeliest pair of drinking mates Emma could ever have imagined: Luna Lovegood and none other than Rita Skeeter, ex-journalist on the _Daily Prophet _and one of Hermione's least favourite people in the world.

"Hey" said Emma. "What's with the strangest group in the world? What are you up to?" she asked as she and George to a seat next to each other.

"Your early, I wasn't expecting you for another hour at lest because I thought you wanted to spend more time together" said Hermione, raising an eyebrow.

"Your together?" said Rita at once, twisting round in her seat to stare avidly at Emma and George. "Together, together?"

She snatched up her crocodile-skin handbag and groped within it.

"It's none of your business if they are together or not" Hermione told Rita coolly as Emma shifted in her seat uncomfortable. "So you can put that away right now."

Rita had been on the point of withdrawing an acid-green quill from her bag. Looking as though she had been forced to swallow thorns, she snapped her bag shut again. Emma gasped and snapped her head to look at Hermione just as Harry come to them and sat down.

"You want Rita to report what me and Harry say about Voldemort, don't you" said Emma.

"What?" asked Harry, confused.

"Hermione wants Rita to give us an interview on Voldemort's return. The whole truth and nothing but the truth, am I correct?" asked Emma, turning to Hermione

"Yes, I do" said Hermione. "The true story. All the facts. Exactly as they reports them. They'll give you all the details, they'll tell you the names of the undiscovered Death Eaters Harry saw there, they'll tell you what Voldemort looks like now."

"Oh get a grip on yourself" Emma snapped, tired of people jumping at Voldemort's name, and throwing a napkin across the table because Rita had jumped so badly she had slopped half her glass if Firewhisky down herself. Emma was surprised when she realised that George hadn't as much as flinch at Voldemort's name and that surprised her. He usually did. She made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Rita blotted the front of her grubby raincoat, still staring at Hermione. Then she said baldly "The _Prophet _wouldn't print it. In case you haven't noticed, nobody believes their cock-and-bull story. Everyone thinks their delusional. Now, if you let me write the story from that angle..."

"We don't need another story about how we're lost our marbles. We've had plenty of those, thank you!" said Emma angrily.

"I want them given the opportunity to tell the truth!" Hermione added, glaring at Rita.

"There's no market for a story like that" said Rita coldly.

"You mean the _Prophet _won't print it because Fudge won't let them" said Harry irritably.

Rita gave Hermione a long, hard look. Then, leaning forwards across the table towards her, she said in a businesslike tone "All right, Fudge is leaning on the _Prophet, _but it comes to the same thing. They won't print a story that shows you two in a good light. Nobody wants to read it. It's against the public mood. This last Azkaban breakout has got people quite worried enough. People just don't want to believe You-Know-Who's back."

"This is exactly why Hermione wants to put it in _The Quibbler_" said Emma, rolling her eyes at Rita.

"All right, let's say for a moment I'll do it" Rita said abruptly. "What kind of feel am I going to get?"

"Twelve Gallons" said Emma quickly before Luna could say anything and pulled out the money. Rita nodded thoughtfully.

"Deal" she said and Emma handed her the money.

"Daddy will be pleased" said Luna brightly. A muscle twitched in Rita's jaw/

"Okay, Harry? Emma?" said Hermione, turning to them. "Read to tell the public the truth?"

"Yeah" said Harry and Emma together, watching Rita balancing the Quick-Quotes Quill at the ready on the parchment between them. George took Emma's hand, letting her know that he was with her all the way. Emma smiled at him slightly. With him, she could take on the world.

"Fire away, then, Rita" said Hermione serenely, fished a cherry out from the bottom of her glass.

**AN: Advice needed. Because George is 17 and so is Emma in a vampire sort of way, should I have their wedding in the next book at Christmas? Answers needed. Thank you **


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Seen and Unforeseen

Luna said vaguely that she did not know how soon Rita's interview with Harry and Emma would appear in _The Quibbler, _that her father was expecting a lovely long article on recent sightings of Crumple-Horned Snorkacks "-And of course, that'll be a very important story, so yours might have to wait for the following issue" said Luna.

They had not found it an easy experience to talk about the night when Voldemort had returned. Rita ad pressed them for every little detail and they had given her everything they could remember, knowing that this was their one big opportunity to tell the world the truth. They wondered how people would react to the story. They guessed that it would confirm a lot of people in the view that they were completely insane, not least because their story would be appearing alongside utter rubbish about Crumple-Horned Snorkacks. But the breakout of Bellatrix Lestrange and he fellow Death Eaters had given them a burning desire to do something, whether or not it worked...

"Can't wait to see what Umbridge thinks of you going public" said Dean, sounding awestruck at dinner on Monday night. Seamus was shovelling down large amounts of chicken and ham pie on Dean's other side, but Emma knew that he was listening. Emma felt that he owed Harry an apology.

"It's the right thing to do" said Neville, who was sitting opposite Harry and Emma. He was rather pale, but went on in a low voice "It must have been...tough...talking about it...wasn't it?"

"Yeah" muttered Harry "bit not as hard as it will be for Emma. Now the whole Wizarding world who reads the _Prophet _will know that she is a vampire now."

Emma shrugged "but people have got to know what Voldemort's capable of, haven't they? No matter what the costs are..."

"That's right" said Neville, nodding "and his Death Eaters, too...

People should know..."

Neville left his sentence hanging and returned to his baked potato. Seamus looked up, but when he caught Harry's eye he looked quickly back at his plate again. After a while, Dean, Seamus and Neville departed for the common room, leaving Harry, Emma and Hermione at the table waiting for Ron, who had not yet had dinner because of Quidditch practise.

Cho Chang walked into the Hall with her friend Marietta. Emma watched as Harry's expression turned to an uncomfortable look but Cho did not look over at the Gryffindor table, and sat down with her back to Harry.

"Oh, I forgot to ask you" said Emma brightly, glancing over at the Ravenclaw table "what happened on your date with Cho? How come you were back so early?"

"Err...well, it was..." said Harry, pulling a dish of rhubarb crumble towards him and helping himself to seconds "a complete fiasco, now you mention it.

Emma and Hermione listened patiently as he told them what had happened in Madam Puddidoot's teashop.

"...so then" he finished several minutes later, as the final bit of crumble disappeared "she jumps up, right, and says 'I'll see you around, Harry' and runs out of the place!" he put down his spoon and looked at his sister. "I mean, what was all that about? What was going on?"

Emma glanced over at the back of Cho's head and sighed.

"Oh, Harry" she said sadly. "Well, I'm sorry, but you were a bit tactless."

"Me, tactless?" said Harry, outrages. "One minute we were getting on fine, next minute she was telling em that Roger Davis asked her out and how she used to go and snog Cedric in that stupid teashop- how was I suppose to feel about that?"

"Well, you see" said Emma, with the patient air of someone explaining that one plus one equals two to an over-emotional toddler "you shouldn't have told her that you wanted to meet Hermione halfway through your date."

"But, but" spluttered Harry "but... she told me to meet her at twelve and to bring her along, how was I supposed to do that without telling her?"

"You should have told her differently" said Emma, still with the maddeningly patient air. "You should have said it was really annoying, but Hermione made you promise to come along to the Three Broomsticks, and you really didn't want to go, you'd much rather spend the whole day with her, but unfortunately you thought you really ought to meet Hermione and would she please, please come along with you and hopefully you'd be able to mention that I was with her too and that I was bringing George with me too seen as we are dating."

"And it might have been a good idea to mention how ugly you think I am too" Hermione added as an afterthought. She had been quite throughout Emma and Harry's exchange, letting them have a brother and sister talk for once.

"But I don't think you're ugly" said Harry, bemused.

Hermione and Emma laughed.

"Harry, you're worse than Ron...well, no, you're not" Hermione sighed, as Ron himself came stumping into the Hall splattered with mud and looking grumpy.

"Look- you upset Cho when you said you were going to meet Hermione, so she tried to make you jealous. It was her way of trying to find out how much you liked her" said Emma, looking at Ron as well.

"Is that what she was doing?" said Harry, as Ron dropped on to the bench opposite them and pulled every dish within reach towards him. "Well, wouldn't it have been easier if she'd just asked me whether I liked her better than Hermione."

"Girls don't often ask questions like that" said Hermione.

"Well, they should" said Harry forcefully. "Then I could've just told her I fancy her, and she wouldn't have had got herself all worked up about Cedric dying!"

"We're not saying what she did was sensible" said Hermione as Ginny joined them, just as muddy as Ron and looking equally disgruntled. "We're just trying to make you see how she was feeling at the time."

"You should write a book" Ron told Hermione and Emma as he cut up his potatoes "translating mad things girls do so boys can understand them."

"Yeah" said Harry. "So, how was Quidditch practise?"

Emma had a feeling the answer wasn't going to be a good one.

"It was a nightmare" said Ron in a surly voice and Emma silently congratulated herself on getting the answer right without having to look into the future for the answer.

"Oh come on" said Hermione, looking a Ginny "I'm sure it wasn't that..."

"Yes, it was" said Ginny. "It was appalling. Angelina was nearly in tears by the end of it."

Ron and Ginny went off for baths after dinner, Harry, Hermione and Emma returned to the busy Gryffindor common room and their usual pile if homework. Harry had been struggling with a new star-chart for Astronomy for half an hour when Fred and George turned up.

"Ron and Ginny not here?" asked Fred, looking around as he pulled up a chair, and when Harry shook his head, he said "Good. We were watching their practise. They're going to be slaughtered. They're complete rubbish without us."

"Has Ron saved a goal yet?" asked Hermione, peering over the top of _Magic Hieroglyphs and Logograms._

"Well, he can do it if he doesn't think anyone's watching him" said Fred, rolling his eyes. "So all we have to do is ask the crowd to turn their backs and talk among themselves every time the Quaffle goes up his end on Saturday."

"You know, Quidditch was about the only think in this place worth staying for."

"For you" George muttered and Emma smiled. She knew that he was thinking about her and found it really sweet.

Hermione cast Fred a stern look.

"You've got exams coming!"

"Told you already, we're not fussed about NEWTs" said Fred. "The Snackboxes are ready to roll and Emma helped us with the boils."

George yawned widely and looked out disconsolately at the cloudy night sky.

"I dunno if I even want to watch this match. If Zacharias Smith beats us I might have to kill myself."

Emma glared at his back.

"Kill him, more like" said Fred firmly, noticing Emma's glare.

"That's the trouble with Quidditch" said Hermione absentmindedly; one again bent over her Runes translation "it creates all this bad feeling and tension between the houses."

She looked up to find her copy of _Spellman's Syllabary, _and caught Fred, George, Harry and Emma all staring at he with expressions of mingled disgust and incredulity on their faces.

"Well, it does!" she said impatiently. "It's only a game, isn't it?"

"Hermione" said Harry, shaking his head "you're good on feelings and stuff, but you just don't understand about Quidditch."

"Maybe not" she said darkly, returning to her translation "but at least my happiness doesn't depend on Ron's goalkeeping ability."

The very best thing you could say about the match was that it was short; the Gryffindor and Emma spectators had to endure only twenty-two minutes of agony. The miracle was that Gryffindor only lost by ten points: Ginny managed to snatch the Snitch from right under Hufflepuff Seeker Summerby's nose, so that the final score was two hundred and forty versus two hundred and thirty.

"That was a really good save, Ginny" congratulated Emma back in the common room, where the atmosphere resembled that of a particularly dismal funeral.

"I was lucky" she shrugged. "It wasn't a very fast Snitch and Summerby's got a cold, he sneezed and closed his eyes at exactly the wrong moment."

Ginny and Emma laughed.

Emma and Ginny looked over at Ron, who was hunching in a corner, staring at his knees, a bottle of Butterbeer clutched in his hand.

"Angelina still won't let him resign" Ginny said, as though reading Emma's mind. "She says she knows he's got it in him.

It was nice that Angelina was telling Ron that but it would be really kinder to let him leave the ream.

Fred and George wandered over.

"I haven't even got the heart to take the mickey out of him" said Fred, looking over at Ron's crumpled figure. "Mind you... when he missed the fourteenth..."

He made wild motions with his arms as though doing an upright doggy-paddle which earned him a slap on the arm from Emma.

"...well, I'll save it for parties, eh?" finished Fred, rubbing his arm where Emma had struck him with a grin. Emma rolled her eyes and couldn't help but smile.

Ron dragged himself up to bed shortly after this. After a long time, Harry went up himself- Emma suspected that he was sparing Ron's feelings and smiled; her brother could be so thoughtful- and soon the common room was empty apart from Emma. She didn't mind though, she needed some alone time.

She turned around and looked out of the window. The night was so beautiful; but nothing was more beautiful than love.

Emma met Harry, Ron and Hermione outside the Great hall and they entered for breakfast at exactly the same moment as the post owls on Monday morning, Hermione was not the only person eagerly awaiting her _Daily Prophet: _nearly everyone was eager for more news about the escaped Death Eaters, who, despite many reported sightings, had still not been caught. Hermione gave the delivery owl a Knut and unfolded the newspaper eagerly while Harry helped himself to orange juice; as he had only received one note during the entire year, he was sure, when the first owl landed with a thud in front of him, that it had made a mistake.

"It's the _Quibbler_" Emma gasped.

Frowning, Harry made to take the letter from the owl, but before he could do so, three, four, five more owls had fluttered down in front of him and Emma.

"Bloody fan mail" Emma muttered.

Emma took the first one out of Harry's hand and read it:

HARRY AND EMMA PITTER SPEAKS OUT AT LAST:

THE TRUTH ABOUT HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED

AND THE NIGHT WE SAW HIM RETURN

"It's good, isn't it?" said Luna, who had drifted over to the Gryffindor table and now squeezed herself on to the bench between Fred and Ron. "It came out yesterday, I asked Dad to send you a free copy. I expect all these" she waved a hand at the assembled owls still scrambling around on the table in front of Harry and Emma "are letters from readers.

"That's what I thought" said Emma, grinning. "Help yourselves" and she, Harry, Hermione and Ron started to open the mail.

"This one's from a bloke who thinks you're both off your rocker" said Ron, glancing down his letter. "Ah well..."

"This women recommends you two try a good course of Shock Spells at St Mungo's" said Hermione, looking disappointed And crumpling up a second.

"This one looks ok, though" said Harry slowly, scanning a long letter from a witch in Paisley. "Hey, she says she believes us!"

"This one's in two minds" said Fred. "Says you two don't come across a mad person, but he really doesn't want to believe You-Know-Who's back so he doesn't know what to think know. Blimey, what a waste of parchment."

"This one says he believes us!" said Emma and giggled. "He also asked me out because he thinks I'm hot and, by the looks of it, he's cute to" she showed Hermione a picture of the man and both girls fell about giggling. George puffed out his chest.

"Of course, no one could be cuter than George when he's jealous" giggled Emma and giving George a quick kiss making him blush.

"Here's another one you've convince, you two!" said Hermione excitedly. "_Having read your side of the story, I am forced to the conclusion that the _Daily Prophet _has treated you very unfairly... little though I want to think that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned, I am forced to accept that you are telling the truth... _oh, this is wonderful!"

"What is going on here?" asked a falsely sweet, girlish voice.

Harry and Emma looked up with their hands full of envelopes. Professor Umbridge was standing behind Fred and Luna, her bulging toad's eyes scanning the mess of owls and letters on the table in front of Harry and Emma. Behind her he saw many of the students watching them avidly.

"Why have you two got all these letters, Miss and Mr Potter" she asked slowly.

"Is that a crime now?" asked George loudly and defensively. "Getting mail?"

"Be careful, Mr Weasley, or I shall have to put you in detention" said Umbridge. "Well, you two, explain yourselves."

Emma really admired George's confidence but sometimes he could make some really silly mistakes; not that he _or _Fred gave a damn.

Harry and Emma exchanged glanced; they didn't see how they could keep what they had done quiet, it was surely only a matter of time before a copy of _The Quibbler _came to Umbridge's attention.

"People have written to us because we gave an interview" said Harry. "About what happened to us last June."

For some reason, Emma glance up at the staff table as Harry said this. Emma had the strangest feeling that Dumbledore had been watching them a second before, but when she looked towards the Headmaster he seemed to be absorbed in conversation with Professor Flitwick.

"An interview?" repeated Umbridge, her voice thinner and higher than ever "What do you mean?"

"We mean a reporter asked us questions and we answered them" said Emma. "Here..."

And she threw the copy of _The Quibbler _to her. She caught it and stared down at the cover. Her pale, doughy face turned an ugly, patchy violet.

"When did you do this?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"Last Hogsmeade weekend" said Harry and Emma together.

She looked up at them, incandescent with rage, the magazine shaking in her stubby fingers.

"There will be no more Hogsmeade trips for you two" she whispered. "How dare you...how could..." She took a deep breath. "I have tried again and again to teach you not to tell lies. The message apparently, has still not sunk in. Fifty points from Gryffindor and another week's wroth of detentions; for both of you."

She stalked away; clutching _The Quibbler _to her chest, the eyes of many students followed her.

Emma rolled her eyes; like a detention was going to scare her into telling everyone that Voldemort wasn't back and was never coming back. Then she frowned, Fred and George were starting to rub off on her.

By mid-morning enormous signs had been put up all over the school, not just on the house notice boards, but in the corridors and classrooms too.

_BY ORDER OF THE HIGH INQUISITOR OF HOGWARTS_

_Any student found in possession of the magazine_

The Quibbler _will be expelled._

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree_

_Number Twenty-seven_

_Signed: Dolores Jane Umbridge, High Inquisitor_

For some reason, every time Hermione and Emma caught sight of one of these signs she beamed with pleasure.

"What exactly are you two so happy about?" Harry asked them.

"Oh, Harry, don't you see?" Hermione breathed.

"If she could have done one thing to make absolutely sure that every single person in this school will read your interview, it was banning it!"Emma said in the same voice.

and it seemed that Emma and Hermione were right. By the end of the day, though they had not seen so much as a corner of _The Quibbler _anywhere int eh school, the whole place seemed to be quoting the interview to each other. Harry heard them whispering about it as they queued up outside classes, discussing it over lunch and in the back of lessons, while Emma reported that every occupant of the cubicles in the girl's toilets had been talking about it when she nipped in there at break.

"Then they spotted me and started to bombard me with questions and guess what, I think they believe us, I really do, I think we've finally got them convinced."

Meanwhile, Professor Umbridge was stalking the school, stopping students at random and demanding that they turn out their books and pockets: Harry and Emma knew she was looking copies of _The Quibbler, _but the students were several steps ahead of her. The pages carrying Harry's interview had been bewitched to resemble extracts from textbooks if anyone but themselves read it, or else wiped magically blank until they wanted to peruse it again. Soon it seemed that every single person in the school had read it.

The teachers were of course forbidden from mentioning the interview by Educational Decree Number Twenty-six, but they found ways to express their feelings about it all the same. Professor Sprout awarded Gryffindor fifty points just because Emma had picked up a plant that she had accidently-on-purpose dropped (Emma was now technically in Gryffindor); and Professor Trelawney told Emma that she was going to live a very old age and that she was going to marry George and have 5 children.

But what shocked Emma the most was when Emma was walking Harry to Transfiguration and Seamus stepped out of the queue to face them.

"I just wanted to say" he mumbled, squinting at Harry's left knee "I believe you both. And I've sent a copy of that magazine to me mam."

"Thanks Seamus" Emma smile seemed to illuminate the whole corridor. "See yuh Harry" she called over her shoulder as she almost skipped out of the room. That was almost everyone convinced that Voldemort had returned.

If anything more was needed to complete their happiness, it was the reaction they got form Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle. They saw them with their heads together later that afternoon in the library: they were with a weedy-looking boy Hermione whispered was called Theodore Nott. They looked round at Harry as he browsed the shelves for the book he needed on Partial Vanishment: Goyle cracked his knuckles threatening and Malfoy whispered something undoubtedly malevolent to Crabbe. Harry and Emma knew perfectly well why they were acting like this: they both had named all of their fathers as Death Eaters.

"And the best bit" whispered Hermione gleefully, as they left the library "is they can't contradict you, because they can't admit they've read the article!"

To cap it all, Luna told them over dinner that no issue of _The Quibbler _had ever sold out faster.

"Dad's reprinting!" she told them, her eyes popping excitedly. "He can't believe it; he says people seem even more interested in this than the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks!"

Harry and Emma were the Heroes in the Gryffindor common room that night. Daringly, Fred and George had put an Enlargement Charm on the front cover of _The Quibbler _and hung it on the wall, so that Harry's and Emma's giant heads gazed down upon the proceedings, occasionally saying things like 'TEH MINISTRY ARE MORONA' and 'EAT DUNG UMBRIDGE' in a booming voice.

The next day at break Harry, Ron and Emma told Hermione what Harry and Emma had seen last night.

"So that's why they killed him" she said quietly. "When Bode tried to steal this weapon, something funny happened to him. I think there must be a defensive spells on it, or around it, to stop people touching it. That's why he was in St Mungo's, his brain had gone all funny and he couldn't talk. But remember what the Healer told us? He was recovering. And they couldn't risk him getting better, could they? I mean the shock of whatever happened when he touched that weapon probably made the Imperius Curse lift. Once he'd got his voice back, he'd explain what he'd been doing, wouldn't he? They would have known he'd been sent to steal the weapon. Of course, it would have been easy for Lucius Malfoy to put the curse on him. Never out of the Ministry, is he?"

Ron, Harry and Hermione all turned to look at Emma.

She held her hands up as if too show that they were empty and said "Don't look at me, I ain't telling you anything!"

"He was even hanging around that day I had my hearing" said Harry. "In the- hang on..." he said slowly. "He was in the Department of Mysteries corridor that day! Your dad said he was probably trying to sneak down and find out what happened in my hearing, but what is..."

"Sturgis!" said Emma, looking thunderstruck.

"Sorry" said Ron, looking bewildered.

"Sturgis Podmore" explained Emma "arrested for trying to get through a door! Lucius Malfoy must have got him too! I bet he did it the day you saw him there, Harry. Sturgis had Moody's Invisibility Cloak, right? So, what if he was standing guard by the door, invisible, and Malfoy heard him move-or guessed someone was there- or just did the Imperius Curse on the off-chance there'd be a guard there? So, when Sturgis next had an opportunity- probably when it was his turn on guard duty again- he tried to get into the Department to steal the weapon for Voldemort- Ron, be quiet= but he got caught and sent to Azkaban. Now that is just unfair..."

Emma and Hermione gazed at Harry.

"And now Rookwood's told Voldemort how to get the weapon?"

"I didn't hear all the conversation, but that's what it sounded like" said Harry. "Rookwood used to work there... maybe Voldemort'll send Rookwood to do it?"

"That's what it sounded like to me" said Emma, frowning.

Later on in the day, Emma followed screams that were coming from the Entrance Hall.

"Harry" she said, finding him. "Trelawney been sacked!"

And so she was. Professor Trelawney was standing in the middle of the Entrance Hall with her wand in one hand and an empty sherry bottle in the other, looking utterly mad. Her hair was sticking up on end, her glasses were lopsided so that one eye was magnified more than the other; her innumerable shawls and scarves were trailing haphazardly from her shoulders, giving the impression that she was falling apart at the seams. Two large trunks lay on the floor beside her, one of them upside down; it looked very much as though it had been thrown down the stairs after her. Professor Trelawney was staring, apparently terrified, at something Harry and Emma could not see but which seemed to be standing at the foot of the stairs.

"No!" she shrieked. "NO! This cannot be happening...it cannot... I refuse to accept it!"

"You didn't realise this was coming?" said a high girlish voice, sounding callously amused, and Emma and Harry, moving slightly to their right, saw that Trelawney's terrifying vision was nothing other than Professor Umbridge. "Incapable though you are of predicting even tomorrow's weather, you must surely have realised that your pitiful performance during my inspections, and lack of any improvement, would make it inevitable that you would be sacked?"

"You c-can't!" howled Professor Trelawney, tears streaming down her face from behind her enormous lenses "you c-can't sack me! I've b-been here sixteen years! H-Hogwarts is m-my h-home!"

Emma walked silently walked over to Professor Trelawney and handed her a tissue.

"T-Thanks" she whispered before blowing her nose and Emma comforted her.

"It was your home" said Professor Umbridge, ignoring Emma as if she was nothing. Both Harry and Emma could tell that she was enjoying this and that she had been waiting for this for a long, long time.

Emma went back to comforting her. "There, there, Sybill...calm down...it's not as bad as you think; now...you are not going to have to leave Hogwarts..."

"Oh really, Miss Potter?" said Professor Umbridge in a deadly voice, taking a few steps forward. "And your authority for that statement is...?"

"That would be mine" said a deep voice and Emma grinned in triumphant.

The oaken front doors had swung open. Students beside them scuttled out of the way as Dumbledore appeared in the entrance. What he had been doing in the grounds Emma could not imagine, but there was something impressive about the sight of him framed in the doorway against an oddly misty night. Leaving the doors wide open behind him he strode forwards through the circle of onlookers towards Professor Trelawney, tear-stained and trembling, on her trunk, Emma alongside her.

"Yours, Professor Dumbledore?" said Umbridge, with a singularly unpleasant little laugh. "I'm afraid you do not understand the position. I have here..." she pulled a parchment scroll within her robes "...an Order of Dismissal signed by myself and the Minister for Magic. Under the terms of Educational Decree Number Twenty-three, the High Inquisitor of Hogwarts has the power to inspect, place upon probation and sack any teacher she-that is to say, I feel is not performing to the standards required by the Ministry of Magic. I have decided that Professor Trelawney is not up to scratch. I have dismissed her."

To Harry's very great surprise, Dumbledore and Emma continued to smile.

"You are quite right, of course, Professor. As High Inquisitor you have very right to dismiss Professor Dumbledore's teacher. You do not, however, have the authority to send them away from the castle. I am afraid that the power to do that still resides with the Headmaster, and it is Professor Dumbledore's wish that Professor Trelawney continue to live at Hogwarts" Emma explained, still grinning.

"Professor McGonagall, might I ask you to escort Sybill back upstairs" Dumbledore asked.

"Of course" said McGonagall. "Up you get, Sybill..."

Professor Sprout came hurrying forwards out of the crows and grabbed Professor Trelawney's other arm. Together, they guided her past Umbridge and up the marble stairs.

"_Locomotor trunks_" Emma said and Professor Trelawney's luggage rose into the air and followed Professor Trelawney up the stairs.

Professor Umbridge was standing stock still, staring at Dumbledore, who continued to smile benignly.

"And what" she said, in a whisper hat carried all around the Entrance Hall "are you going to do with her once I appoint a new Divination teacher who needs lodgings?"

"Oh, that won't be a problem" said Dumbledore pleasantly. "You see, I have already found us two new Divination teachers, and they will prefer lodgings on the ground floor. Emma, if you please."

"Of course Professor" said Emma brightly and she ran out of the room at full speed.

"Firenze, Dumbledore is ready" she said.

She and the centaur walked back into the Entrance hall.

"This is Firenze" said Dumbledore happily to a thunderstruck Umbridge "and Emma will be assisting him in his classes. I think you'll find them both suitable."

**AN: please review. I felt that Emma didn't have much to do during the times when everyone else was a t lessons so I decided that it would be an idea to put her as an assistant. Is that okay? I repeat the question, should I have Emma and George get married because they are both technically of age in the next book? Thanks, all thoughts needed :D**


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The Centaur, the Vampire and the Sneak

"I'll bet you wish you hadn't given up Divination now, don't you, Hermione?" asked Parvati, smirking.

It was breakfast time, two days after the sacking of Professor Trelawney, and Parvati was curling her eyelashes around her wand and examining the effect in the back of her spoon. They were to have their first lesson with Firenze and Emma that morning.

"Not really" said Hermione indifferently, who was reading the _Daily Prophet. _"I've never really liked horses."

She turned a page of the newspaper and scanned its columns. Emma rolled her eyes.

"He's not a horse, he's a centaur!" said Lavender, sounding shocked.

"A gorgeous centaur..." sighed Parvati.

"Either way, he's still got four legs" said Hermione coolly. "Anyway, I thought you two were all upset with Trelawney had gone?"

"We are!" Lavender assured her. "We went up to her office to see her; we took her some daffodils- not the honking ones that Sprout's got, nice ones."

"I've gotta go" said Emma, grabbing some toast. "Firenze said he wanted to see me before the lesson began."

And with that, she darted out of the room, pulling her shoulder-bag onto her shoulder.

The classroom floor had become springily mossy and trees were growing out of it; their leafy branches fanned across the ceiling and windows, so that the room was full of slanting shafts of soft, dappled, green light.

When the students came, Emma giggled at their dumbstruck expressions.

"I think they like it, Firenze" she laughed.

"I think they do, Emma Potter" replied Firenze.

Emma and Firenze walked up to Harry.

"Harry Potter" said Firenze, holding out his hand.

"Err- hi" said Harry, shaking hands with the centaur, who surveyed him unblinkingly through those astonishingly blue eyes but did not smile. "Err- good to see you."

"And you" said Firenze, inclining his white-blond head. "It was foretold that we would meet again; both of you."

Emma grinned. "I bet it was" and she looked out of the window.

As Harry he turned to join the rest of the class on the ground, Emma and Harry saw they were all looking at Harry and Emma in awe, apparently deeply impressed that they were on speaking terms with Firenze, whom they seemed to find intimidating.

When the door was closed and the last student had sat down on a tree stump beside the wastepaper basket, Firenze gestured around the room.

"Professor Dumbledore had kindly arranged this classroom for us" said Firenze, when everyone had settled down "in imitation of mine and Emma's natural habitat. We would have preferred to teach you int eh Forbidden Forest, which was-until Monday- mine and Emma's home...but that is no longer possible."

"Please-err-sir" said Parvati breathlessly, raising her hand "why not? We've been in there with Hagrid, we're not frightened!"

"It is not a question of your bravery" said Firenze "but of my position. I cannot return to the Forest. My herd has banished me."

"Herd?" said Lavender in a confused voice, and Harry and Emma knew she was thinking of cows "What-oh!"

Comprehension dawned on her face. "There are more of you?" she said, stunned.

"Did Hagrid breed you, like the Thestrals?" asked Dean eagerly.

Dean immediately knew- from the warning look Emma shot him- that he had said something very offensive.

"I didn't-I meant-sorry" he finished in a hushed voice.

"Centaurs are not the servants or playthings of humans" said Firenze quietly. "Or vampires" he added and Emma nodded.

"Never thought you were" said Emma softly that it was almost like a melody.

There was a pause, and then Parvati raised her hand again.

"Please, sir... why have the other centaurs banished you?"

"Because I have agreed to work for Professor Dumbledore" said Firenze. "They see this as a betrayal of our kind."

After a short pause, Firenze said "Let us begin."

Emma waved her wand towards the leafy canopy overhead, and then lowered it slowly, and as she did so, the light int eh room dimmed, so that they now seemed to be sitting in a forest clearing by twilight, and stars appeared on the ceiling. There were oohs and gasps and Ron said audibly "Blimey!"

"Lie back on the floor" said Firenze in his calm voice "and observe the heavens. Here is written, for those who can see, the fortune of our faces."

"I know that you have learned the names of the planes and their moons in Astronomy" said Firenze's calm voice "and that you have mapped the stars progress through the heavens. Centaurs have unravelled the mysteries of these movements over centuries. Out findings teach us that the future may be glimpsed in the sky above us..."

"Professor Trelawney did astrology with us!" said Parvati excitedly, raising her hand in front of her so that it stuck up in the air as she lay on her back. "Mars causes accidents and burns and things like that, and when it makes an angle to Saturn, like now..." she drew a right-angle on the air above her "...that means people need to be extra careful when handling hot things..."

"That is human nonsense" said Emma calmly.

Parvati's hand fell limply to her side.

"Trivial hurts, tiny human accidents" said Firenze, as his hooves thudded over the mossy floor. "These are no more significance than the scurrying of ants to the wide universe, and are unaffected by planetary movements."

"Professor Trelawney..." began Parvati, in a hurt and indignant voice.

"...is human" said Firenze simply. "And is therefore blinkered and fettered by the limitations of your kind.

"Sybill Trelawney may have Seen, I do not know" continued Firenze "but she wastes her time, in the main, on the self-flattering nonsense humans call fortune-telling. I, however, am here to explain the wisdom of centaurs, which is impersonal and impartial. We watch the skies for the great tides of evil or change that are sometimes marked there. It may take ten years to be sure of what we are seeing."

Firenze pointed to the red star that Emma realized was directly about Harry.

"IN the past decade, the indications have been that wizardkind is living through nothing more than a brief calm between two wars. Mars, bringer of battle, shines brightly above us, suggesting that the fight must soon break out again. How soon, centaurs may attempt to divine by the burning of certain herbs and leaves, by the observation of fume and flame..."

At the end of the lesson, when the bell rang, Emma quickly mad the light brighter. Everyone started to file out of the room and Emma followed Harry and Ron.

"Harry Potter, Emma Potter, a word, please" said Firenze suddenly.

Harry and Emma turned. The centaur advanced a little towards him. Ron hesitated.

"You may stay" Firenze told him. "But close the door, please."

Ron hastened to obey.

"Harry Potter, Emma Potter, you are a friend of Hagrid's, are you not?" said Firenze.

"Yes" said Harry and Emma together.

"Then give him a warning from me. His attempt is not working. He would do better to abandon it."

Emma gasped an understanding gasp.

Harry, however, was deeply confused. "His attempt is not working?" he repeated blankly.

"And he would do better to abandon it" said Firenze, nodding. "I would warn Hagrid myself, but I am banished-it would be unwise for me to go near the Forest now- Hagrid has troubles enough, without a centaur battle."

"But- what's Hagrid attempting to do?" said Harry nervously.

Firenze surveyed Harry impassively.

"Hagrid has recently rendered me a great service" said Firenze, "and he has long since earned my respect for the care he shows all living creatures. I shall not betray his secret. But he must be brought to his senses. The attempt it snot working. Tell him, Harry and Emma Potter. Good-day to you two."

The happiness Harry and Emma had felt in the aftermath of _The Quibbler _interview had long since evaporated. As a dull March blurred into squally April, their life seemed to have become one long series of worries and problems again.

Umbridge had continued attending all Care if Magical Creatures lessons, so it had been very difficult to deliver Firenze's warning to Hagrid. At last, Harry had managed it by pretending he'd lost his copy of _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_, and doubling back after class one day as Emma pretended to help him. When they'd repeated Firenze's words, Hagrid gazed at him for a moment through his puffy, blackened eyes, apparently taken aback. Then he seemed to pull himself together.

"Nice bloke, Firenze" he said gruffly "but he don' know what he's talkin' abou' on this. The attemp's comin' on fine."

"Hagrid, what're you up to?" asked Emma seriously. "Because you've got to be careful, Umbridge has already sacked Trelawney and, if you ask me, she's on a roll. If you're doing anything you shouldn't be, you'll be..."

"There's things more importan' than keepin' a job" said Hagrid, though his hands shook slightly as he said this and a basin full of Knarl droppings crashed to the floor. "Don' worry abou' me, you two, jus' get along now."

Meanwhile, as the teachers and Hermione persisted in reminding them, the OWLs were drawing ever nearer. All the fifth-years were suffering from stress to some degree, but Hanna Abbott became the first to receive a Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey after she burst into tears during Herbology and sobbed that she was too stupid to take exams and wanted to leave school now.

In the DA team, they had started work on Patronuses. Emma was explaining how to do it and she waved her wand. She gasped.

"Wow, it's changed" she said, grinning and turning to look at Harry. Her Patronuse was in the shape of a cheetah. Harry thought he knew why and, when he looked over a George, he knew he was correct. George's Patronuse was in the shape of a Cheetah too. He smiled. He was glad to see Emma so happy.

The door of the Room of Requirement opened, and closed. Harry and Emma looked round to see who had entered, but there did not seem to be anyone there. It was a few moments before they realised that the people close to the door had fallen silent. Next thing Harry knew, something was tugging at his robes somewhere near the knee. He looked down and saw, to his very great astonishment, Dobby the house-elf peering up at him from beneath his usual eight woolly hats.

"Oh no" said Emma, her eyes wide.

"Hi, Dobby!" Harry said. "What are you- What's wrong?"

The elf's eyes were wide with terror and he was shaking. The members of the DA closest to Harry and Emma had fallen silent; everybody in the room was watching Dobby. The few Patronuses people had managed to conjure faded away into silver mist, leaving the room looking much darker than before.

"Harry Potter, sir..." squeaked the elf, trembling from head to foot, "Harry Potter, Sir... Dobby has come to warn you... but the house-elves have been warned not to tell..."

"Here" said Emma, kneeling down and placing her hands on the either side of Dobby's head. Then they fell limp at her side.

"Umbridge is coming" said Emma. "RUN" she shouted.

They all pelted towards the exit at once, forming a scrim at the door, then people burst through. Harry and Emma could hear them sprinting along the corridors and hoped they had the sense not to try and make it all the way to their dormitories. It was only ten to nine; if they just took refuge in the library or the Owlery, which were both nearer. The next couple of hours were a blur to Emma.

Before she knew it, she was going up the stairs behind the stone gargoyle heading up to Dumbledore's office. They reached the polished door with the griffin knocker, but Umbridge did not bother to knock, she strode straight inside, still holding tight to Harry and Emma. Emma noticed that she held onto her gingerly, as if she was worried that she would snap. Ha, Umbridge was terrified of her. That was almost hilarious!

The office was full of people. Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, his expression serene, and the tip of his long fingers together. Professor McGonagall stood rigidly beside him, her face extremely tense. Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic, was rocking backwards and forwards on his toes beside the fire, apparently immensely pleased with the situation; Kingsley Shackbolt and a tough-looking wizard with very short wiry hair whom Harry nor Emma recognise, were positioned either side of the door like guards, and the freckled, bespectacled form of Percy Weasley hovered excitedly beside the wall, a quill and heavy scroll of parchment in his hands, apparently poised to take notes.

The portraits of old headmasters and headmistresses were not shamming sleep tonight. All of them were alert and serious, watching what was happening below them. As they entered, a few flitted into neighbouring frames and whispered urgently into their neighbour's ear.

Harry and Emma pulled themselves fee of Umbridge's grasp as the door swung shut behind them. Cornelius Fudge was glaring at them with a kind of vicious satisfaction on his face,

"Well" he said. "Well, well, well..."

"I wonder, Harry, do you think he says anything other than 'well'?" Emma smirked but Fudge ignored her.

"They were heading back to Gryffindor Tower" said Umbridge. There was an indecent excitement in her voice, he same callous pleasure Harry and Emma heard as she watched Professor Trelawney dissolving with misery in the Entrance Hall. "The Malfoy boy cornered them both."

"Did he, did he?" said Fudge appreciatively. "I must remember to tell Lucius. Well, you two... I expect you know why you are here?"

Harry fully intended to respond with a defiant 'yes': his mouth had opened and the word was half-formed when he caught sight of Dumbledore's face. Dumbledore was not looking directly at Harry or Emma- his eyes were fixed on a point just over their shoulders- but as Harry stared at him, he shook his head a fraction of an inch to each side. That and Emma discreetly and painfully on his foot.

Harry changed direction mid-word.

"Ye-no."

"I beg your pardon?" said Fudge.

"No" said Harry, firmly.

"You don't know why you are here?"

"No, we don't" said Emma.

Fudge looked incredulously from Harry to Emma to Professor Umbridge. Harry took advantage of his momentary inattention to steal another quick look at Dumbledore, who gave the carpet the tiniest of nods and the shadow of a wink.

"So you have no idea" said Fudge, in a voice positively sagging with sarcasm "why Professor Umbridge has brought you to this office? You are not aware that you have broken any school rules?"

"School rules?" said Emma. "Nah."

"Or Ministry Decrees?" amended Fudge angrily.

"Not that we're aware of" said Emma blandly.

"And she has brilliant memory" Harry added causing Emma to smirk.

"So, its news to you two, is it" said Fudge, his voice now thick with anger, "that an illegal student organisation has been discovered within this school/"

"Yes, it is" said Harry while Emma hoisted a convincing look of innocent surprise on to her face. It was so convincing that even Harry, who knew it was fake, was almost fooled.

"I think, Minister" said Umbridge silkily from beside him "we might make better progress if I fetch out informant."

"Yes, yes, do" said Fudge, nodding, and he glanced maliciously at Dumbledore as Umbridge left the room. "There's nothing like a good witness, is there, Dumbledore?"

"Nothing at all, Cornelius" said Dumbledore gravely, inclining his head.

There was a wait of several minutes, in which nobody looked at each other, and then Harry and Emma heard the door open behind them. Umbridge moved past him into the room, gripping by the shoulder Cho's curly-haired friend, Mariette, who was hiding her face in her hands.

"Don't be scared, dear, don't be frightened" said Professor Umbridge softly, patting her on the back "it's quite all right, now. You have done the right thing. The Minister is very pleased with you. He'll be telling your mother what a good girl you've been. Marietta's mother, Minister" she added, looking up at Fudge "is Madam Edgecombe from the Department of Magical Transportation, Floo Network office- she's been helping us police the Hogwarts fires, you know."

"Jolly good, jolly good!" said Fudge heartily. "Like mother, like daughter, eh? Well, come on, now dear, look up, don't be shy, let's hear what you've got to- galloping gargoyles!"

As Marietta raised her head, Fudge leapt backwards in shock, nearly landing himself in the fire. He cursed, and stamped on the hem of his cloak which had started to smoke. Marietta gave a wail and pulled the neck of her robes right up to her eyes, but not before everyone had seen that her face was horrible disfigured by a series of close-set purple pustules that had spread across her nose and cheeks to form the word 'SNEAK'.

"Never mind the spots now, dear" said Umbridge impatiently "just take your robes away from your mouth and tell the Minister..."

But Marietta gave another muffled wail and shook her head frantically.

"Oh, very well, you silly girl, I'll tell him" snapped Umbridge. She hitched her sickly smile back on to her face and said "Well, Minister, Miss Edgecombe here came to my office shortly after dinner this evening and told me she had something she wanted to tell me. She said that if I proceeded to a secret room on the seventh floor, sometimes known as the Room of Requirement, I would find out something to my advantage. I questioned her a little further and she admitted that there was to be some kind of meeting there. Unfortunately at that point this next" she waved impatiently at Marietta's concealed face "came into operation and upon catching sight of her face in my mirror the girl too distressed to tell me anymore."

"Well, now" said Fudge, fixing Marietta with what he evidently imagined was a kind and fatherly look "it is very brave of you, my dear, coming to tell Professor Umbridge. You did exactly the right thing. Now, will you tell me what happened at this meeting? What was its purpose? Who was there?"

But Marietta would not speak; she merely shook her head again, her eyes wide and fearful.

"Haven't we got a counter-jinx for this?" Fudge asked Umbridge impatiently, gesturing at Marietta's face. "So she can speak freely?"

"I have not yet managed to find one" Umbridge admitted grudgingly, and Harry and Emma felt a surge of pride in Hermione's jinxing ability. "But it doesn't matter if she won't speak, I can take up the story from here.

"You will remember, Minister, that I sent you a report back in October that Miss and Mr Potter had met a number of fellow students in the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade..."

"And what is your evidence for that?" cut in Professor McGonagall.

"I have testimony from Willy Widdershins, Minerva, who happened to be in the bar at the time. He was heavily bandaged, it is true, but his hearing was quite unimpaired" said Umbridge smugly. "He heard every word Miss Potter said and hastened straight to the school to report to me..."

"Oh, so that's why he wasn't prosecuted for setting up all those regurgitating toilets!" said Professor McGonagall, raising her eyebrows. "What an interesting insight into our justice system!" Emma rolled her eyes at Fudge.

"Blatant corruption!" roared the portrait of the corpulent, red-nosed wizard on the wall behind Dumbledore's desk. "The Ministry did not cut deals with petty criminals in my day, no sir, they did not!"

"Thank you, Fortescue that will do" sighed Emma.

"The purpose of Mr and Miss Potter's meeting with these students" continued Professor Umbridge "was to persuade them to join an illegal society, whose aim was to earn spells and curses the Ministry has decided are inappropriate for school age..."

"I think you'll find you're wrong there, Dolores" said Dumbledore quietly, peering at her over the half-moon spectacles perched halfway down his crooked nose.

Harry and Emma stared at him. They could not see how Dumbledore was going to talk them out of this one; if Willy Widdershins had indeed heard every word Emma had said in the Hog's Head there was simply no escaping it.

"Oho!" said Fudge, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet again. "Yes, do let's hear the latest cock-and-bull story designed to pull these Potters out of trouble! Go on, then, Dumbledore, go on- Willy Widdershins was lying, was he? Or was it their identical twin in the Hog's Head that day? Or is there the usual simple explanation involving a reversal of time, a dead man coming back to life and a couple of invisible Dementors?"

Percy Weasley let out a hearty laugh.

"Oh, very good, Minister, very good!"

Emma could have kicked him. In fact, she did send him a glare that made him shiver in fear. Then she saw, to her astonishment, that Dumbledore was smiling gently, too.

"Cornelius, I do not deny- and nor, I am sure, does Harry or Emma- that they was in the Hog's Head that day, nor that they were trying to recruit students to a Defence Against the Dark Arts group. I am merely pointing out that Dolores is quite wrong to suggest that such a group was, at that time, illegal. If you remember, the Ministry Decree banning all student societies was not put into effect until two days after Harry's and Emma's Hogsmeade meeting, so he was not breaking any rules at all in the Hogs Head."

Percy looked as though he had been struck in the face by something very heavy. Fudge remained motionless in mid-bounce, his mouth hanging open.

Umbridge recovered first.

"That's all very fine, Headmaster" she said, smiling sweetly, "but we are now nearly six months on from the introduction of Educational Decree Number Twenty-four. If the first meeting was not illegal, all those that have happened since more certainly are."

"Well" said Dumbledore, surveying her with polite interest over the top of his interlocked fingers "they certainly would be, if they had continued after the Decree came into effect. Do you have any evidence that any such meetings continued?"

As Dumbledore spoke, Harry and Emma heard a rustle behind them and rather thought Kingsley whispered something. He could have sworn, too, that they felt something brush against their sides, a gentle something like a draught or bird wings, but looking down they saw nothing there.

"Evidence?" repeated Umbridge, with that horrible wide toad like smile. "Have you not been listening, Dumbledore? Why do you think Miss Edgecombe is here?"

"Oh, can she tell us about six month's worth of meetings?" said Dumbledore, raising his eyebrows. "I was under the impression that she was merely reporting a meeting tonight."

"Miss Edgecombe" said Umbridge at once "tell us how long these meetings have been going on, dear. You can simply nod or shake your head, I'm sure that won't make the spots worse. Have they been happening regularly over the last six months?"

Harry and Emma felt a horrible plummeting in their stomachs. This was it, they had hit a dead end of solid evidence that not even Dumbledore would be able to shift aside.

"Just nod or shake your head, dear" Umbridge said coaxingly to Marietta "come on, now, that won't re-activate the jinx."

Everyone in the room was gazing at the top of Marietta's face. Only her eyes were visible between the pulled-up robes and her curly fringe. Perhaps it was a trick of the firelight, but her eyes looked oddly blank. And then- to Harry's and Emma's utter amazement- Marietta shook her head.

Umbridge looked quickly at Fudge, then back at Marietta.

"I don't think you understand the question, did you, dear? I'm asking whether you've been going to these meetings for the past six months? You have, haven't you?"

Again, Marietta shook her head.

"What do you mean by shaking your head, dear?" said Umbridge in a testy voice.

"I would have thought her meaning was quite clear" said Professor McGonagall harshly "there have been no secret meetings for the past six months. Is that correct, Miss Edgecombe?"

Marietta nodded.

"But there was a meeting tonight!" said Umbridge furiously. "There was a meeting, Miss Edgecombe, you told me about it, in the Room of Requirement! And these Potter's were the leaders, were they not, the Potters- _why are you shaking your head, girl_?"

"Well, usually when a person shakes their head" said Emma coldly, "they mean 'no'. So unless Marietta is using a form of sign-language as yet unknown to humans..."

Professor Umbridge seized Marietta, pulled her round to face her and began shaking her very heard.

"_Relasho_" Emma screamed at the same time as Dumbledore was on his feet with his wand raised; Kingsley started forwards. Umbridge's hands looked like they had been thrown backwards and she stumbled backwards because the spell was so powerful. Emma's eyes were blazing with anger.

"I cannot allow you to manhandle my students, Dolores" said Dumbledore and, for the first time, he looked angry- maybe to as angry as Emma but still...

"You want to calm yourself, Madam Umbridge" said Kingsley, in his deep, low voice. "You don't want to get yourself into trouble now."

"No" said Umbridge breathlessly, glancing at the towering figure of Kingsley. "I mean, yes- you're right, Shacklebolt- I- I forgot myself."

Marietta was standing exactly where Umbridge had released her. She seemed neither perturbed by Umbridge's sudden attack, nor relieved by her release; she was still clutching her robe up to her oddly blank eyes and staring ahead of her.

A sudden suspicion, connected to Kingsley's whisper and the thing they had felt shoot past them, sprang into Harry's and Emma's mind.

"Dolores" said Fudge, with the air of trying to settle something once and for all "the meeting tonight- the one we know definitely happened..."

"Yes" said Umbridge, pulling herself together "yes... well, Miss Edgecombe tipped me off and I proceeded at once to the seventh floor, accompanied by certain trustworthy students, so as to catch those in the meeting red-handed. It appears that they were forewarned of my arrival, however, because when we reached the seventh floor they were running in every direction. It does not matter, however. I have all their names here, Miss Parkinson ran into the Room of Requirement for me to see if they had left anything behind. We needed evidence and the room provided."

"Woops" said Emma and the paper went blank. "I forgot to tell you, that paper only lasts 15 minutes outside the Room of Requirement... sorry."

And she winked at Harry. This rattled Fudge and Professor Umbridge but Fudge took the paper anyway.

"By thunder..." said Fudge, looking at the sheet and Emma realised that the name was still on there.

"See what they've named themselves?" said Fudge quietly. "_Dumbledore's Army."_

Dumbledore reached out and took the piece of parchment from Fudge. He gazed at the heading scribbled by Hermione months before and for a moment seemed unable to speak. Then he looked up smiling.

"Well, the game is up" he said simply. "Would you like a written confession from me, Cornelius- or will a statement before these witnesses suffice?"

Harry saw McGonagall, Kingsley and Emma look at each other. There was fear in both faces. He did not understand what was going on, and nor, apparently, did Fudge.

"Statement?" said Fudge slowly. "What-I don't...?"

"Dumbledore's Army, Cornelius" said Dumbledore, still smiling as he waved the name before Fudge's face. "Not The Potter's Army. _Dumbledore's Army_."

"But-but..."

Understanding blazed suddenly in Fudge's face. He took a horrified step backwards, yelped, and jumped out of the fire again.

"You" he whispered, stamping again on his smouldering cloak.

"That's right" said Dumbledore pleasantly.

"You organised this?"

"I did" said Dumbledore.

"You recruited these students for- for your army?"

"Tonight was supposed to be the first meeting" said Dumbledore, nodding. "Merely to see whether they would be interested in joining me. I see now that it was a mistake to invite Miss Edgecombe, of course."

Marietta nodded. Fudge looked from her to Dumbledore, his chest swelling.

"Then you have been plotting against me!" he yelled.

"That's right" said Dumbledore cheerfully.

"NO!" shouted Harry.

Kingsley flashed a look of warning at him, McGonagall widened her eyes threateningly, but it had suddenly dawned on Harry what Dumbledore was about to do, and he could not let it happen.

"No-Professor Dumbledore...!"

"Be quiet, Harry, or I am afraid you will have to leave my office" said Dumbledore calmly.

"Yes, shut up, Potter!" barked Fudge, who was still ogling Dumbledore with a kind of horrified delight.

Emma hissed, tensing up as if for a fight. Nobody told Harry to shut up and got away with it. Kingsley put a warning hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down. It worked... a little bit anyway.

"Well, well, well" said Fudge "I came here tonight expecting to expel Potter and instead..."

"Instead you get to arrest me" said Dumbledore, smiling. "It's like losing a Knut and finding a Galleon, isn't it?"

"Weasley!" cried Fudge, now positively quivering with delight, "Weasley, have you written it all down, everything he's said, his confession, have you got it?"

"Yes, sir, I think so, sir!" said Percy eagerly, whose nose was splattered with ink from the speed of his note-taking. Emma hoped it stained.

"The bit about how he's been trying to build up an army against the Ministry, how he's been working to destabilise me?"

"Yes, sir, I've got it, yes!" said Percy, scanning his notes joyfully.

"Very well, then" said Fudge, now radiant with glee "duplicate your notes, Weasley, and send a copy to the _Daily Prophet _at once. If we send a fast owl we should make the morning edition!" Percy dashed from the room, slamming the door behind him, and Fudge turned back to Dumbledore. "You will now be escorted back to the Ministry, where you will be formally charge, then sent to Azkaban to await trial!"

"Ah" said Dumbledore gently "yes. Yes, I thought we might hit that little snag."

"Snag?" said Fudge, his voice vibrating with joy. "I see now snag, Dumbledore!"

"Well" said Dumbledore apologetically "I'm afraid I do."

"Oh, really?"

"Well- it's just that you seem to be labouring under the delusion that I am going to- what is the phrase?"

"Come quietly" said Emma, who was now positively grinning.

"Yes, I am afraid I am not going to come quietly at all, Cornelius. I have absolutely no intention of being sent to Azkaban. I could break out, of course- but what a waste of time, and frankly, I can think of a whole host of things I would rather be doing."

Emma and Harry saw Dawlish his hand drift, almost casually, towards his pocket.

"Don't be silly, Dawlish" said Dumbledore kindly. "I'm sure you are an excellent Auror- I seem to remember that you achieved 'Outstanding' in all your NEWTs- but if you attempt to-err- being me in by force, I will have to hurt you."

Dawlish blinked rather foolishly. He looked towards Fudge again, but this time seemed to be hoping for a clue as to what to do next.

"So" sneered Fudge, recovering himself "you intend to take on Dawlish, Shacklebolt, Dolores and myself single-handed, do you, Dumbledore?"

"Merlin's beard, no" said Dumbledore, smiling "not unless you are foolish enough to force me to."

"He will not be single-handed" said Professor McGonagall loudly, plunging her hand inside her robes.

"Oh yes he will, Minerva!" said Dumbledore sharply. "Hogwarts needs you!"

"Enough of this rubbish!" said Fudge, pulling out his own wand. "Dawlish! Shacklebolt! Take him!"

Emma jumped at Harry and forced him down as a streak of silver light around the room. Emma maybe small but she was very good at getting Harry on the floor. She protected him from all the books and other stuff falling on top of him. Finally, she got off of him.

Panting slightly, Harry and Emma saw a very tall figure moving towards them.

"Are you all right?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes!" said Professor McGonagall, getting up and dragging Marietta with her.

The dust was clearing. The wreckage of the office loomed into view: Dumbledore's desk had been overturned, all of the spindly tables had been knocked tot eh floor, their silver instruments in pieces, books everywhere. Fudge, Umbridge, Kingsley and Dawlish lay motionless on the floor. Fawkes the phoenix soared in wide circles above them, singing softly, and landed on Emma's shoulder. Emma found his weight comforting.

"Unfortunately, I had to hex Kingsley too, or it would have looked very suspicious" said Dumbledore in a low voice. "He was remarkably quick on the uptake, modifying Miss Edgecombe's memory like that while everyone was looking the other way- thank him, for me, won't you, Minerva?

"Now, they will all awake very soon and it will be best if they do not know that we had time to communicate- you must act as though no time has passed, as though they were merely knocked to the ground, they will not remember...

"Listen to me, you two" Dumbledore was now speaking urgently now "you must study Occlumency as hard as you can, do you understand me? Do everything Professor Snape tells you and practise it particularly every night before sleeping so that you can close your mind to bad dreams- you will understand why soon enough, but you must promise me..."

The man called Dawlish was stirring. Dumbledore seized Harry's and Emma's wrists.

"Remember- close your mind- you will understand" whispered Dumbledore.

Fawkes hopped off of Emma's shoulder and swooped low over Dumbledore. Dumbledore released Harry and Emma, raised his hand and grasped he phoenix's long golden tail. There was a flash of fire and the pair of them were gone.

"Where is he?" yelled Fudge, pushing himself up from the floor. "Where is he?"

"I don't know!" shouted Kingsley, also leaping to his feet.

"Well, he can't have Disapparated!" cried Umbridge. "You can't do it from inside this school..."

"The stairs!" cried Dawlish, and he flung himself upon the floor, wrenched it open and disappeared, followed closely by Kingsley and Umbridge. Fudge hesitated, and then got slowly to his feet, brushing dust from his front. There was a long and painful silence.

"Well, Emma" said Fudge nastily, straightening his torn shirt-sleeve "I'm afraid this is the end of your dear old Dumbledore."

"He'll never be gone, not as long as those remain are loyal to him" Emma said, eye blazing with such furry that it had Professor McGonagall and Harry quivering in fear and it wasn't even directed at them!

Fudge looked terrified but said in a shaky voice "You'd better got those lot off to bed."

Professor McGonagall said nothing, but marched Harry, Marietta and Emma to the door. As it swung close behind them, Harry and Emma heard Phineas Nigellus's voice.

"You know, Minister, I disagree with Dumbledore on many counts... but you cannot deny he's got style..."

Emma smiled. Yes, she- with the help of Fred and George- was going to make mayhem at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Snape's Worst Memory

_BY ORDER OF THE MINISTER OF MAGIC_

_ Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced_

_Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School if_

_Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_The above is in accordance with Educational Decree_

_Number Twenty-eight._

_Signed: Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister for Magic_

The notices had gone up all around the school overnight, but they did not explain how every single person within the castle seemed to know that Dumbledore had overcome two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, and the Minister for Magic _and_ his Junior Assistant to escape.

No matter where Harry and Emma went within the castle, the sole topic of conversation was Dumbledore's flight, and though some of the details may have gone awry in the retelling (They overheard on second-year girl assuring another Fudge was now lying in St Mungo's with a pumpkin for a head) it was surprising how accurate the rest of their information was. Everybody knew, of instance, that Harry, Marietta and Emma were the only students to have witnessed the scene in Dumbledore's office and, as Marietta was now in the hospital wing, Harry and Emma found themselves besieged with requests to give a first-hand account.

"Dumbledore will be back before long" said Ernie Macmillan confidently on the way back from Herbology, after listening intently to Harry's and Emma's story. "They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar me..." he dropped his voice conspiratorially, so that Harry Ron, Hermione and Emma had to lean closer to him to hear "...that Umbridge tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gargoyle. The Head's office has sealed itself against her." Ernie smirked. "Apparently, she had a right little tantrum."

"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office" said Hermione viciously, as they walked up the stone steps into the Entrance Hall. "Lording it over all the other teachers the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old..."

"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?"

Draco Malfoy had slid out from behind the door, closely followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice.

"Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points form Gryffindor and Hufflepuff" he drawled.

"It's only teachers who can dock points from houses, Malfoy" said Ernie at once.

"Yeah, we're prefects, too, remember?" snarled Ron.

"I know prefects can't dock points, Weasley Kind" sneered Malfoy. Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad..."

"The what?" said Hermione sharply.

"The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger" said Malfoy, pointing towards a tiny silver 'I' on his robes just beneath his prefect's badge. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, hand-picked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points...so, Granger; I'll have five from you for being rude about our new Headmistress. Macmillan, five for contradicting me. Five because I don't like you, Potter. Weasley, you shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that. Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a Mudblood, Granger, so en off for that."

Emma smirked "Yeah, but, fifty points off of Malfoy because he's abusing his power, twenty off of Crabbe because he smirks too much and twenty off of Goyle because you're just plain dumb. See Malfoy, you're not the only person here who can dock points. Good day to you."

Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle scowled and stalked off.

"Nice" said Ron.

"Not allowed to do it too often though, I don't have as much power over students as the teachers" shrugged Emma.

"He was bluffing" sad Ernie, looking appalled. "He can't be allowed to dock points...that would be ridiculous...it would completely undermine the prefect system."

But Harry, Ron, Hermione and Emma had turned automatically towards the giant hour-glasses set in niches along the wall behind them, which recorded the house-points. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been neck and neck int eh lead that morning. Even as they watched, stone flew upwards, reducing the amounts in the lower bulbs.

"Noticed, have you?" said Fred's voice.

He and George had just come down the marble staircase and joined Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ernie and Emma in front of the hour-glasses.

"Malfoy just docked us all about fifty points" said Harry furiously, as they watched several more stones fly upwards from the Gryffindor hour-glass.

"Yeah, Montague tried to do us during break" said George, his arms wrapped around Emma's small body as she leant against him.

"What do you mean, 'tried'?" asked Harry suspiciously.

"He never managed to get the words out" said Fred "due to the fact that we forced him head-first into the Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."

Hermione looked very shocked.

"But you'll get into terrible trouble!"

"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks" said Emma casually.

"Anyway, we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."

"Have you ever?" asked Hermione.

"Course we have" said George. "Never been expelled, have we?"

"We've always known where to draw the line" said Fred.

"We might have put a toe across it occasionally" said George.

"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem" said Fred.

"But now" said Ron tentatively.

"Well now..." said George.

"...what with Dumbledore gone..." said Fred

"...and with Emma's help..." said George

"...we reckon a bit of mayhem..." said Fred.

"...is exactly what out dear new Head deserves" said George.

"You mustn't!" whispered Hermione. "You really mustn't! She'd love a reason to expel you!"

"You don't get it, Hermione, do you?" said Emma, smiling at her. "They don't care about staying any more. They'd walk out right now if they weren't determined to do their bit for Dumbledore first."

"So, anyway" George checked his watch "phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch, if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have done anything to do with it."

"Anything to do with what?" said Hermione anxiously.

"You'll see" said George. "Run along, now."

George gave Emma a quick kiss and he and Fred turned away and disappeared into the swelling crowd descending the stairs towards lunch. Looking highly disconcerted, Ernie muttered something about unfinished Transfiguration homework and scurried away.

"I think we should get out of here, you know" said Emma suddenly nervous. She knew how bad Fred and George could get. "Just in case..."

"Yeah, all right" said Ron, and the four of them moved towards the doors to the Great Hall, but Harry and Emma barely glimpsed the day's ceiling of scudding while clouds when somebody tapped them on the shoulders and, turning, they found themselves almost nose-to-nose with Filch the caretaker. They took several hasty steps backwards; Filch was best viewed at a distance.

"The Headmistress would like to see you, Potters" he leered.

Filch seemed to be in an extremely good mood; he hummed creakily under his breath as they climbed the marble staircase. As they reached the first landing he said "Things are changing around here, Potters."

"We've noticed" said Emma coldly.

"Years... I've been telling Dumbledore for years and years he's too soft with you all" said Filch, chuckling nastily. "You filthy little beasts would never have dropped Stink Pellets if you'd known I had it in my power to whip you raw, would you, now? Nobody would have thought of throwing Fanged Frisbees down the corridors if I could've strung you up by the ankles in my office, would they? But when Educational Decree Twenty-nine comes in, Potters, I'll be allowed to do those things... and she's asked the Minister to sign an order for the expulsion of Peeves... oh, things are going to be very different around her with her in charge..."

Umbridge had obviously gone to some lengths to get Filch on her side, Emma thought, and the worst of it was that she would probably prove an important weapon; her knowledge of the schools secrets were the best- probably just less than the very founders themselves.

"Here we are" he said, leering down at Harry and Emma as he rapped three times on Professor Umbridge's door and pushed it open. "The Potters to see you, Ma'am."

Umbridge's office, so very familiar to Harry from his many detentions, was the same as usual except for the large wooden block lying across the front of her desk on which golden letters spelled the word: HEADMISTRESS. Also, Harry's Firebolt and Fred and George's Cleansweeps, which she saw with a pang, were chained and padlocked to stout iron peg in the wall behind the desk.

Umbridge was sitting behind the desk scribbling on some of her pink parchment, but she looked up and smiled widely at their entrance.

"That you, Argus" she swear sweetly.

"Not all, Ma'am, not at all" said Filch, bowing so low as his rheumatism would permit, and exiting backwards.

"Sir" said Umbridge curtly, pointing towards the seats in front of her. Harry and Emma at. She continued to scribble for a few moments. They watched some of the foul kittens gambolling around the plates over her head, wondering what fresh horror she had in sort for them.

"Well, now" she said finally, setting down her quill and surveying them complacently, like a toad about to swallow a particularly juicy fly. "What would you two like to drink.

"What?" said Harry and Emma together, both quite sure that they had misheard her.

"To drink, Mr and Miss Potter" she said, smiling more widely. "Tea? Coffee? Pumpkin juice?"

As she named each drink, she gave her sort wand a wave, and a cup or glass of it appeared on her desk.

"Coffee, thank you" said Emma.

"Tea please" said Harry. He didn't know what Emma was doing but he was sure he was going to find out and, sure enough, he heard Emma's voice in his head.

_Okay, Harry, show time. You, keep your mouth shut and only pretended to drink the drink okay? Let me do the talking. I have this perfect cover up story for Sirius and I'm just going to say that I don't know where Dumbledore. Remember, keep your trap shut! Just this once._

"Now, where is Albus Dumbledore?" asked Umbridge as Emma and Harry took a pretend sip.

"No idea" said Emma and Harry shook his head.

"Drink up, drink up" she said, still smiling. "Now, you two, let us not play childish games. I know that you know where he has gone. You two and Dumbledore have been in this together from the beginning. Consider your position, Mr and Miss Potter..."

"We don't know where he is" said Harry, merely intimidating her.

They pretended to drink again. She was watching them very closely.

"Very well" she said, though she looked displeased. "In that case, you will kindly tell me the whereabouts of Sirius Black."

Harry's stomach turned over and his hand holding the teacup shoot so that it rattled in its saucer. He tilted the cup to his mouth with his lips presses together, so that some of the hot languid trickled down his robes. Only Emma stayed calm. She was good, very good.

"He lives in some mountains in Germany" said Emma calmly. Harry as impressed. There was the right amount of innocents in her voice and it didn't even shake one bit. "He is always being vague about where he is so I don't know a lot. Most of the time though he is something normal like a rock or something like that. He changes it every day and never tells us" she sighed.

"Very well..." Umbridge began but was interrupted by a very loud...

BOOM!

The very floor of the office shook. Umbridge slipped sideways clutching her desk for support, and looking shocked.

"What was...?"

She was gazing towards the door. Harry and Emma took the opportunity to empty their almost-full cup of tea and coffee into the nearest vase of dried flowers. They could hear people running and screaming several floors below.

"Back to lunch you go, you two!" cried Umbridge, raising her wand and dashing out of the office. They gave her a few seconds start, then hurried after he to see what the source of all the uproar was.

It was not difficult to find. One floor down, pandemonium reigned. Somebody (and they had a very shrewd idea who) had set off what seemed to be an enormous crate of enchanted fireworks.

Flinch and Umbridge were standing, apparently transfixed in horror, halfway down the stairs. As Harry and Emma watched, one of the larger Catherine wheels seemed o decide that what it needed was more room to manoeuvre; it whirled towards Umbridge and Flinch with a sinister '_wheeeeeeeeee.' _They both yelped with fright and ducked, and it soared straight out of the window behind them and off across the grounds. Meanwhile, several of the dragons and a large purple bat that was smoking ominously took advantage of the open door at the end of the corridor to escape towards the second floor.

"Hurry, Filch, hurry!" shrieked Umbridge "they'll be all over the school unless we do something-_Stupefy!"_

A jet of red light shot out of the end of her wand and hit one of the rockets. Instead of freezing in midair, it exploded with such force that it blasted a hole in a painting of a soppy-looking witch in the middle of a meadow; she ran for it just in time, reappearing seconds later squashed into the next painting, where a couple of wizards playing cards stood up hastily to make room for her.

"Don't Stun them, Filch!" shouted Umbridge angrily, for all the world as though it had been his incantation.

"Right you are, Headmistress!" wheezed Filch, who as a Squib could no more have Stunned the fireworks than swallowed them. He dashed to a nearby cupboard, pulling out a broom and began swatting at the fireworks in midair; within seconds the head of the broom was ablaze.

Harry and Emma had seen enough; laughing, they ducked down low, ran to a door they knew was concealed behind a tapestry a little way along the corridor and slipped through it to find Fred and George hiding just behind it, listening to Umbridge and Flinch's yells and quaking with suppressed mirth.

"Impressive" said Harry quietly, grinning. "Very impressive."

"Yeah, you'll put Dr Filibuster out of business, no problem" Emma grinned, giving George a quick peck on the lips.

"Cheers" whispered George, wiping tears of laughter from his face. "Oh, I hope she tried Vanishing next... they multiply by ten every time you try."

"Seriously!" said Emma, her eyes bright with a mischievous light in her eyes. "Cool" and she jumped out of the tunnel. The boys looked at her curiously and doubled over in laughter.

"_Vipera Evanesca fireworks_" she said, jumping up and down, trying to hit every firework she could with the Vanishing spell. She looked like a child on Christmas day who has just heard that she was going on holiday to Disney Land Parris. That was one the reasons why George loved Emma so much. She was such a child one minute and then serious the next.

The fireworks continued to burn and to spread all over the school that afternoon. Though they caused plenty of disruption, particularly the firecrackers, the other teachers didn't seem to mind them very much.

"Dear, dear" said Professor McGonagall sardonically, as one of the dragons soared around her classroom, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame. 2Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the Headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?"

The upshot of it all was that Professor Umbridge spent her first afternoon as Headmistress running all over the school answering the summons of the other teachers, none of whom seemed able to rid their rooms of fireworks without he. When the final bell rang and they were heading back to Gryffindor Tower with their bags, Harry and Emma saw, with immense satisfaction, a disheveled and soot-blackened Umbridge tottering sweaty-faced from Professor Flitwick's classroom.

"Thank you so much, Professor!" said Professor Flitwick in his squeaky little voice. "I could have got rid of the sparklers myself, of course, but I wasn't sure whether or not I had the authority."

Beaming, he closed his classroom door in her snarling face. Ah, thought Emma, there's no business like Weasley business.

Fred and George were heroes that night in the Gryffindor common room. Even Hermione fought her way through the excited crowd the congratulate them.

"They were wonderful fireworks" she said admiringly,

"Thanks" said Fred, looking both surprised and pleased. "Weasley's Wildfire Whiz-bangs. Only thing is, we used our whole stock; we're going to ave to start from scratch now.""It was worth it, though" said George, who had his arms wrapped around Emma's waist. "If you want to add your name to the waiting list, Hermione, it's five Galleons for your Basic Blaze box and twenty for the Deflagration Deluxe..."

George suddenly swooped down and kissed Emma like never kissed her before. Never in the whole time had they been together, had George snoged her in front of everyone. It was usually just a quick peck or something.

The room went dead quite and there was a round of applause and wolf-whistling. When George and Emma finally broke apart, their faces were as red as their hair.

"Whoa, get in there Emma!" said a voice and Emma glanced sideways at Ginny who winked at her. She grinned like a love struck teenager.

Emma and Harry set of for Snape's office after dinner. Halfway across the Entrance Hall, however, Cho came hurrying up to them.

"Over here" said Harry and beckoning her across to the corner of the Entrance Hall where the giant hour-glasses stood. Gryffindor was now almost empty. "Are you okay? Umbridge hasn't been asking you about the DA, has she?"

"Oh no" said Cho hurriedly. "No, it was only... well; I just wanted to say... Harry, Emma, I never dreamed Marietta would tell..."

"Yeah, well" said Harry moodily. Uh-oh thought Emma and slides herself into the shadows. This really wasn't going to end well, it really wasn't. She really didn't bother to listen.

Finally, Snape was drawn away from their lesson by someone being stuck in a toilet. I mean, come on, could things get any stranger?

Emma frowned. Harry was looking at the Pensive and stood over it, gazing into its depths. Emma walked over to him and stood up his side. What was Snape keeping away from them? They exchanged a look and nodded. They both plunged into the Pensieve...

They were standing in the middle of the Great Hall, but the four house tables were gone. Instead, there were more than a hundred smaller tables, all facing the same way, at each of which sat a student, head bent low, scribbling on a roll of parchment. The only sound was the scratching of quills and the occasional rustle as somebody adjusted their parchment. It was clearly exam time.

Sunshine was streaming through the high windows on to the bent heads, which shone chestnut and copper and gold in the bright light. Harry and Emma looked around carefully. Snape had to be here somewhere... this was his memory..."

And there he was, at a table right behind Harry and Emma. They stared. Snape-the-teenager had a stingy, pallid look about him, like a plant kept in the dark. His hair was lank and greasy and was flopping on to the table, his hooked nose barely held an inch from the surface of the parchment as he scribbled. They both moved around behind Snape and read the heading of the examination paper:

DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS- ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL.

So Snape had to be fifteen or sixteen, around Harry's and Emma's (physically anyway) own age. His hand was flying across the parchment; he had written at least a foot more than his closest neighbours, and yet his writing was minuscule and cramped.

"Five more minutes!"

The voice made Harry and Emma jumped- Emma was, of course, not used to jumping so it made her jump even more than Harry. Turning, they saw the top of Professor Flitwick's head moving between the desks a short distance away. Professor Flitwick was walking past a boy with untidy black hair...very untidy black...

Emma gasped.

They moved so quickly that, had they been solid, they would have knocked desks flying. Instead they seemed to slide, dreamlike, across two aisles and up a third. The back of the black-haired boy's head drew nearer and... He was straightening up now, putting down his quill, rolling his roll of parchment towards him so as to reread what he had written...

Harry and Emma stopped in front of the desk and gazed down at their fifteen-year-old father.

Excitement exploded in the pit of Harry's stomach: it was as though he was looking at himself but with deliberate mistakes. James's eyes were hazel (Emma's exact eyes), his nose was slightly longer than Harry's and there was no scar on his forehead, but they had the same thin face, same mouth, same eyebrows; James's hair stuck up at the back exactly as Harry's did, his hands could have been Harry's and Harry could tell that, when James stood up, they would be within an inch of each other in height.

James yawned hugely and rumpled up his hair, making it even messier than it had been. Then, with a glance towards Professor Flitwick, he turned in his seat and grinned at a boy sitting four seats behind him.

With shock of excitement, Harry and Emma saw Sirius five James the thumbs-up. Sirius was lounging in his chair at ease, tilting it back on two legs. He was very good-looking; his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James's nor Harry's could ever achieved, and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn't seem to have noticed. And two seats along from this girl- Harry's and Emma's stomach gave another pleasurable squirm- was Remus Lupin. He looked rather pale and peaky (was the full moon approaching?) and was absorbed in the exam: as he reread his answers, he scratched his chin with the end of his quill, frowning slightly.

So that meant Wormtail had to be around here somewhere, too... and sure enough, Harry and Emma spotted him within seconds: a small, mousy-haired boy with a pointed nose. Wormtail looked anxious; he was chewing his fingernails, staring down at his paper, scuffing the ground with his toes. Every now and then he glances hopefully at his neighbour's paper. Harry and Emma stared at Wormtail for a moment, and then back at James, who was not doodling on a bit of scrap parchment. He had drawn a Snitch and was now tracing the letters 'L.E'. What did they stand for?

"Lily Evens" Emma gasped. "Mum, that's mum's initials."

"Quills down, please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! _Accio!"_

Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms. Knocking him backwards off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows and lifted him back on to his feet.

"Thank you... that you" panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

Harry and Emma looked down at their father, who hastily crossed out the 'L.E' he had been embellishing, jumped to his feet, stuffed his quill and the exam into his bat, which he slung over his back, and stood waiting for Sirius to join him.

They both looked around and glimpsed Snape a short way away, moving between the tables towards the doors to the Entrance Hall, still absorbed in his own exam paper. Round-shouldered yet angular he walked in a twitchy manner that recalled a spider, and his oily hair was jumping about his face.

A gang of chattering girls separated Snape from James, Sirius and Lupin, and by planting themselves in their midst, Harry and Emma managed to keep Snape in sight while straining his ears to catch the voices of James and his friends.

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" asked Sirius as they emerged into the Entrance Hall.

"Loved it" said Lupin briskly. "_Give five signs that identify the werewolf_. Excellent question."

"Do you think you managed to get all the signs?" said James in tones of mock concern.

"Think I did" said Lupin seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin."

Wormtail was the only one who didn't laugh.

"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail" he said anxiously "but I couldn't think what else..."

"How thick are you, Wormtail?" said James impatiently. "You run round with a werewolf once a month..."

"Keep your voice down" implored Lupin.

Harry and Emma looked anxiously behind him again. Snape remained close by, still buried in his exam questions- but this was Snape's memory and they were sure that if Snape chose to wander off in a different direction one outside in the grounds, they, Emma and Harry, would not e ale to follow James any further, to their intense relief, however, when James and his three friends strode off down the lawn towards the lake, Snape followed, still poring over the exam paper and apparently with no fixed idea of where he was going. By keeping a little ahead of him, they managed to maintain a close watch on James and the others.

"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake" they heard Sirius say. "I'll be surprised if I don't get 'Outstanding' on it at least."

"Me too" said James. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it" said James casually. He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as a foot away before seizing it again; his reflexes were excellent. Wormtail watched him in awe.

They stopped in the shade of the very beech tree on the edge of the lake where Harry, Ron, Hermione and Emma had once spent a Sunday finishing their homework, and threw themselves down on the grass. Harry looked over his shoulder yet again and saw, to his delight, that Snape had settled himself on the grass in the dense shadow of a clamp of bushes, while Emma looked at James with an expression of admiration and longing. She missed him so much. She only had memories of him and mum as adults- vampires have the best memory so she could remember even second of her childhood.

Snape was as deeply immersed in the OWL paper as ever, which left Harry and Emma free to sit down on the grass between the beech and the bushes and watch the foursome under the tree. The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, on the bank of which the group of laughing girls who had just left the Great Hall were sitting, with their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in their water.

Lupin had pulled out a book and was reading. Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so. James was still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping but always grabbed at the last second. Wormtail was watching him with his mouth open. Every time James made a particularly difficult catch, Wormtail gasped and applauded. After five minutes of this Harry wondered why James didn't tell Wormtail to get a grip on himself, but Emma knew that James enjoyed the attention he was getting. He always had. They both noticed that their father had a habit of rumpling up his hair as though to keep it from getting too tidy, and he also kept looking over at the girls by the water's edge. Emma instinctively knew that this was where Lily was sitting and he was trying to impress her. (Vampires pick up on these things.)

"Put that away, will you" said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer "before Wormtail wets himself with excitement."

Wormtail turned slightly pink, but James grinned.

"If it bothers you" he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket. Harry and Emma had the distinct impression that Sirius was the only one for whom James would have stopped showing off. Of course, Emma was the only one who remembered that he would stop showing off if Lily asked him to.

"I'm bored" SAID Sirius." I wish it was fully moon."

"You might" said Lupin darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration; if you're bored you could test me. Here..." and he held out his book.

But Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot" said James quietly. "Look who it is..."

Sirius's head turned. He became very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.

"Excellent" he said softly. "_Snivellus."  
_Harry and Emma turned to see what Sirius was looking at.

Snape was on his feet again, and was stowing the OWL paper in his bag. As he left the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up.

Lupin and Wormtail remained sitting. Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a fait frown line had appeared between his eyebrows; Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.

A frown was on Emma's face too. What were James and Sirius were going to do to Snape? And why did Sirius call Snape 'Snivellus'?

"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.

Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack; dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes, and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted '_Expelliarmus_!"

Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"_Impedimenta!" _he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand.

"What do they think they're doing?" Emma cried, her eyes were wide. "This isn't the James and Sirius I know!"

Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had got to their feet and were edging nearer. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained.

Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands raised, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view.

"How did the exam go, Snivelly?" said James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment" said Sirius, viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it; they won't be able to read a word."

Several people watching laughed; Snape was clearly unpopular. Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You- wait" he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing "you wait!"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexed, but with his wand ten feet away nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth" said James coldly. "_Scourgiufy_!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed form Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, and chocking him.

"Leave him ALONE!" to Harry's surprise, Emma's voice was married with another woman's voice.

James and Sirius looked round. James's free hand immediately jumped to his hair.

It was one of the girls from the lake edge. She had thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders- she looked exactly like Emma only Emma's hair was longer- and startlingly green almond-shaped eyes- Harry's eyes.

Harry's and Emma's mother.

"All right, Evans?" said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.

"Leave him alone" Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's h done to you?"

"Well" said James, appearing to deliberate the point "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..."

Many of the surrounding students laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included, but Lupin, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and nor did lily.

"You think you're funny" she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans" said James quickly. "Go on... go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

"Yeah right" muttered Emma.

Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch towards his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid" said Lily.

"Bad luck, Prongs" said Sirius briskly, and turned back to Snape. "OI!"

But too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about: a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to revile skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

"Why do they keep doing this?" Emma asked.

Many people int eh small crowd cheered: Sirius, James and Wormtail roared with laughter.

Lily, whose furious face had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said "Let him down!"

"Certainly" said James and he jerked his wand upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said "_Petrificus Totalus_!" and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you" said James earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go" he said, as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus..."

"I don't need help from a filthy little Mudblood like her!"

"YOU BLOODY SON OF A BITCH, HOW DARE YOU" Emma screeched even though Snape couldn't hear her.

Lily blinked.

"Fine" she said coolly. "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

"Apologise to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointing threateningly at him.

"I don't want you to make him apologise" Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is."

"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a- you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can- I'm surprised your broomstick can get o the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK!"

She turned on her heel and hurried away.

"Evans!" James shouted after her. "Hey EVANS!"

But she didn't look back.

"What is it with her?" said James, trying and failing to look as though this was a throwaway question of no real importance to him.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate" said Sirius.

"Right" said James, who looked furious now "right..."

There was another flash of light, and Snape was once again hanging upside-down in the air.

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"

But whether James really did take off Snape's pants, Harry and Emma never found out. A hand closed tight on their upper arms, closed with a pincer-like grip. Harry winced and they looked round to see who had hold of them, and saw, with a thrill of horror, a fully grown, adult-sized Snape standing right beside him, white with rage

"Having fun?"

"No sir" said Emma calmly and Harry was surprised to hear that her voice barely shook.

They felt themselves rising into the air; the summer day evaporated around them; they were floating upwards through icy blackness, Snape's hand still tight upon their upper arms. Then, with a swopping feeling as though they had turned head-over-heels in midair, their feet hit the stone floor of Snape's dungeon and they were standing again beside the Pensieve on Snape's desk in the shadowy, present-day Potion master's study.

"So" said Snape, still gripping Harry's arm so tightly Harry's hand starting to feel numb. Of course he had let go of Emma, he _was _scared of her after all. "So...been enjoying yourselves?"

"No" said Emma calmly even though she was feeling horrible inside.

It was scary: Snape's lips were shaking, his face was white, his teeth were bared.

"Amusing man, your father, wasn't he" said Snape, shaking Harry and Emma so hard his glasses slipped down his nose and Emma's neck hurt- which was quick an achievement seen as she was a vampire.

"I...didn't..." Harry tried to say.

Snape threw Harry and Emma from him with all his might. They fell hard on to the dudgeon floor.

"You will not repeat what you saw to anybody!" Snape bellowed.

"We promise" said Emma, still sounding calm, as they got to their feet as far from Snape as they could.

"Get out, get out, I don't want to see you in this office ever again!"

And as they hurtled towards the door, a jar of dead cockroaches exploded over their head. Harry wrenched the door open and they flew along the corridor, stopping only when they had put three floors between themselves and Snape. There they leaned against the wall, panting and Emma checked Harry's bruised arm.

They both had no desire at all to return to Gryffindor Tower so early, or to tell Ron and Hermione what they had just seen. What was making them feel so horrified and unhappy was not being shouted at or having jars thrown at them; it was that they knew how it felt to be humiliated int eh middle of a circle of onlookers, knew exactly how Snape had felt as their father had taunted him, and that judging from what they had just seen, their father had been every bit as arrogant as Snape had always told them.


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: Hey my wonderful readers, I'm back. HURAY! I've really missed writing my stories **** I hope this chapter it good enough for you and will make up for my absence **

Chapter 20

Careers Advice

"But why haven't you got Occlumency lessons anymore?" said Hermione, frowning.

"I've told you" Harry muttered. "Snape reckons that Emma can help me with it seen as she has mastered it."

"Well, I don't think Snape should stop just yet!" said Hermione indignantly.

"Uh-huh" said Emma rolling her eyes. "So it's okay for _Snape _to teach Harry but not for me."

"No, I just think it's better if a teacher did it, that's all" said Hermione.

"Just drop it, Hermione, okay" grumbled Harry.

It was the first day of the Easter holidays and Hermione and Emma had spent part of the day drawing revision timetables for the three of them. Harry and Ron let them do it; it was easier than arguing with them and, in any case, they might come in useful. Plus, Emma can be very persuasive when she wanted to be.

Ron had been startled to discover there were only six weeks left until their exams.

"How can that come as a shock" Hermione demanded as Emma tapped each little square on Ron's timetable with her wand so that it flashed a different colour according to subject.

"I dunno" said Ron "there's been a lot going on.

"Well, there you are" said Emma, handing Hermione, Ron and Harry their timetables "if you all follow tha you should do fine."

Ron looked down it gloomily, but then brightened.

"You've given me an evening off every week!"

"That's for Quidditch practise" said Hermione.

The smile faded from Ron's face and Emma looked at him sympathetically.

"What's the point?" he said dully. "We've got abou as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dad's got of becoming Minister for Magic."

"I saw Cho earlier" said Hermione tentatively. "She looked really miserable, too... have you two had a row again?"

"What- oh, yeah, we have" said Harry.

"What about?" asked Emma sympathetically.

"That sneak friend of hers, Marietta" said Harry.

"Yeah, well, I don't blame you!" said Ron angrily, setting down his revision timetable. "If it hadn't been for her..."

Ron went on a rant about Marietta Edgecombe and Emma shut him out. She really couldn't be bothered to listen.

Hadn't people like Hagrid and Sirius said that their father was a great man? _(Yeah, well, look what Sirius was like himself... he was as bad, wasn't he?)_ Said a voice in Emma's head, irritating her even more.

She really couldn't imagine Fred and George dangling someone upside-down for the fun of it...not unless they really loathed them...perhaps Malfoy, or someone who really deserved it...

Emma reminded herself that Lily had intervened; their mother had been decent. Yet, the memory of the look on her face as she shouted at James disturbed her quite as much as anything else: she had clearly loathed James, and Emma could not understand how they could have ended up married. She had memories form when she was little and, when she dwelled on them; both James and Lily looked at each other like there was nothing more beautiful. They clearly adored each other. So why did Lily hate James so much back then?

"Harry, Emma I'm talking to you, can you hear me?"

"Huh?"

They both looked round. Ginny Weasley, looking very windswept, had joined them at the library table where they had been sitting together, not really talking to each other, but lost in their own thoughts. It was late on Sunday evening: Hermione had gone back to Gryffindor Tower to revise Ancient Runes, and Ron had Quidditch practise.

"Hi" sighed Emma.

"How come you're not at practice?" Harry asked.

"It's over" said Ginny. "Ron had to take Jack Sloper up to take hospital wing."

"Why?""Well, we're not sure, but we think he knocked himself out with his own bat." She sighed heavily. "Anyway...a package just arrived, it's only just got through Umbridge's new screening process."

She hoisted a box wrapped in brown paper on to the table; it had clearly been unwrapped in brown paper on to the table. There was a scribbled note across it in red ink, reading: _Inspected and Passed by the Hogwarts High Inquisitor._

"Its Easter eggs from Mum" said Ginny. "There's one for both of you... there you go."

She handed them both chocolate eggs. Harry's was decorated with small, iced Snitches. Emma's was decorated with small, iced leopards. She smiled.

"You told Mrs Weasley that my Patronus had changed to match a female version of George's, didn't you" said Emma, looking at Ginny who nodded unashamed. Emma's smile faded slightly.

"Are you two okay?" asked Ginny quietly.

"Yeah, fine" said Harry gruffly.

"What's wrong?" asked Ginny.

"We wish we could talk to Sirius" sighed Emma, glaring down at her book. "But we also know that we can't."

Ginny continued to watch them thoughtfully. Emma frowned at the chocolate. She never really had chocolate. Only once with George but that was about it. She was too busy running around the place keeping an eye out for everyone or helping Dumbledore and McGonagall with the paper work. She popped a piece into her mouth. She had forgotten how heavenly it tasted.

"Well" said Ginny slowly, helping herself to a bit of egg, too "if you really want to talk to Sirius, I expect we could think of a way to do it."

"Come on" said Harry dully. "With Umbridge policing the fires and reading out mail."

But Emma's eyes were bright with excitement.

"The thing about growing up with Fred and George" said Ginny thoughtfully "is that you sort of start thinking anything's possible if you've got enough nerve."

"Where there's a will, there's a way" grinned Emma.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?"

"Oh damn" whispered Ginny, jumping to her feet. "I forgot..."

Madam Pince was swooping down on them, her shrivelled face contorted with rage.

"Chocolate in te library!" she screamed. "Out- out- OUT!"

And whipping out her wand, she caused Harry's and Emma's books, bags and ink bottles to chase all three of them from the library, whacking them repeatedly over the head as they ran.

As though to underline the importance of their upcoming examination, a batch of pamphlets, leaflets and notices concerning various Wizarding careers appeared on the tale in Gryffindor Tower shortly before the end of the holidays, along with yet another notice on the board, which read:

_CAREERS ADVICE_

_All fifth-years are required to attend a short meeting with their_

_Head of House during the first week of the summer term to discuss_

_their future careers. Times of individual appointments are listed below._

Emma smiled. She was talking to Professor McGonagall with Harry at half past two on Monday. She was sure that Harry would be pleased because that meant he would be missing most of Divination.

"You taking it with me?" asked Harry, confused.

"Of course I am" she grinned. she picked up a leaflet on Aurors.

"Hey" said a voice in Harry's and Emma's ear. They looked round; Fred and George had come to join them. "Ginny's had a word with us about you" said Fred, stretching out his legs on the table in front of them and causing several booklets on careers with the Minister of Magic to slide off on to the floor while George wrapped his arms around Emma's waist and rested his head on the top of hers. "She says you need to talk to Sirius."

"What?" said Hermione sharply, freezing with her hand halfway towards picking up 'MAKE A BANG AT THE DEPARTMENT OF MAGICAL ACCIDENTS AND CATASTOPHES."

"Yeah..." said Harry, trying to sound casual. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we have" said Emma, trying not to laugh at Harry's pitiful attempt to sound casual.

"Don't be so ridiculous" said Hermione, straightening up and looking at them as though she could not believe her eyes. "With Umbridge groping around in the fires and frisking all the owls?"

"What's Hogwarts without the Weasley twins? Awfully quiet!" said Emma, grinning. Hermione rolled her eyes at her.

"Well, we think we can find a way around Umbridge" said George, grinning too. "It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we have been rather quiet on the mayhem the Easter holidays?"

"Yes" sad Emma, now wary.

"What was the point, we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?" continued Fred. "No point at all, we answered ourselves. And of course, we'd have messed up people's revision, too, which would be the very last thing we'd want to do."

"But its business as usual from tomorrow" George continued briskly. "And if we're going to be causing a bit of uproar, why not do it so that Harry and Emma can have their chat with Sirius."

"Yes, but still" said Hermione, with an air of explaining something very simple to somebody very deranged "even if you do cause a diversion, how is Harry and Emma supposed to talk them him?"

"Umbridge's office" said Harry and Emma together quietly.

They had been talking about it for a fortnight together and could come up with no alternative. Umbridge herself had told them that the only fire that was not being watched was her own.

"Are-you-two-insane?" said Hermione in a hushed voice.

"I don't think so" said Emma and Harry shrugged. "It was my idea iun the first place and it's the best one we've come up with so fare."

"And how are you going to get in there in the first place?"

Harry was ready for this question,

"Sirius's knife" he said.

"Excuse me?"

"Christmas before last Sirius gave me a knife that'll open any lock" said Harry. "So even if she's bewitched the door so _Alohomora_ won't work..."

"...which I bet she has..." Emma put in.

"What do you think about this?" Hermione demanded of Ron, and Harry and Emma were reminded irresistibly of Mrs Weasley appealing to her husband many times before now.

"I dunno" said Ron, looking alarmed at being asked to give an opinion. "If Harry and Emma want to do it, it's up to them, isn't it?"

"Spoken like a true friend and Weasley" said Fred, clapping Ron hard on the back. "Right, then. We're tinking of doing it tomorrow just after lessons, because it should cause maximum impact if everybody's in the corridors- Harry, Emma, we'll set it off in the east wing somewhere, draw her right away from her own office- I reckon we should be able to guarantee you, twenty minutes?" he said, looking at George who looked at Emma.

Her yes glazed over for a couple of seconds before saying "Twenty-two"

"Even better" said George.

"What sort of diversion is it?" asked Ron.

"You'll see, little bro" said Fred, as he got up. "At least, you will if you trot along to Gregory the Smary's corridor round about five o'clock tomorrow."

Harry and Emma headed towards Professor McGonagall's office at two-thirty and found Umbridge sitting in the corner with a clipboard on her knee, a fussy little pie-frill around her neck and a small, horribly smug smile on her face.

"Sit down, you two" said Professor McGonagall tersely. Her hands shook slightly as she shuffled the many pamphlets littering her desk.

Harry and Emma sat down with their backs to Umbridge and did their best to pretend they could not hear the scratching of her quill on her clipboards.

"Well, this meeting is to talk over any career ideas you might have, and to help you decide which subjects you should continue into the sixth and seventh years" said Professor McGonagall. "Have you had any thoughts about what you would like to do after you leave Hogwarts?"

"I wondered about being a Auror and I know Harry has too" said Emma shyly.

"You'd need top grades for that" said Professor McGonagall, extracting a small, dark leaflet from under the mass on her desk. "They ask for a minimum of five NEWTs and nothing under 'Exceeds Expectations' grade, I see. Then you would be required to undergo a stringent series of character and aptitude tests at the Auror office. It's a difficult career path, they only take the best. In fact, I don't think anybody had been taken on in the last three years."

At this moment, Professor Umbridge gave a very tiny cough, as though she was trying to see how quietly she could do it. Professor McGonagall ignored her.

"You'll want to know which subjects you ought to take, I suppose?" she went on, talking a little louder than before.

"Yes" said Harry. "Defence against the Dark Arts, I suppose?"

"Naturally" said Professor McGonagall crisply. "I would also advise..."

Professor Umbridge gave another cough, a little more audible this time. Professor McGonagall closed her eyes for a moment, opened them again, and continued as though nothing had happened.

"I would also advise Transfiguration, because Aurors frequently need to Transfigure or Untransfigure in their work. And I ought to tell you now that I do not accept students into my NEWT classes unless they have achieved 'Exceeds Expectations' or higher at Ordinary Wizarding Level. I'd say you're averaging 'Acceptable' at the moment, Mr Potter, and you, Miss Potter, have reached 'Outstanding'. Then you ought to do charms, always useful, and Potions. Yes, Mr and Miss Potter, Potions" she added, with the merest flicker of a smile. "Poisons and antidotes are essential study for Aurors. And I must tell you that Professor Snape absolutely refuses to take students, who get anything other than 'Outstanding' in their OWLs, so..."

Professor Umbridge gave her most pronounced cough yet.

"May I offer you a cough drop, Dolores?" Professor McGonagall asked curtly, without looking at Professor Umbridge.

"Oh, no, thank you very much" said Umbridge, with that simpering laugh Harry and Emma hated so much. "I just wondered whether I could make the teensiest interruption, Minerva?"

"I daresay you'll find you can" said Professor McGonagall through tightly gritted teeth.

"I was just wondering whether Mr and Miss Potter had quite the temperament for an Auror?" said Professor Umbridge sweetly.

"Were you?" said Professor McGonagall haughtily. "Well, Mr Potter" she continued as though there had been no interruption "if you are serious in this ambition, I would advise you to concentrate hard to bringing your Transfiguration and Potions up to scratch. As for you, Miss Potter, you don't need to do anything as you have got 'Outstanding' in everything so fare- _are you quite sure you wouldn't like a cough drop, Dolores_?"

"Oh, no need, thank you, Minerva" simpered Professor Umbridge, who had just coughed her loudest yet. "I was just concerned that you might not have Harry's most recent Defence Against the Dark Arts marks in front of you. Of course, I do not teach Emma so I don't know her marks on her most recent Defence Against the Dark Arts. I'm quite sure I slipped in a note."

"What, this thing?" said Professor McGonagall in a tone of revulsion, as she pulled a sheet of pink parchment from between the leaves of Harry's folder. She glanced down it, her eyebrows slightly raised, then placed it back into the folder without comment.

"Yes, as I was saying, you two, Professor Lupin thought you showed a pronounced aptitude for the subject, and you to, Emma, with the Bogart, and obviously for an Auror..."

"Did you not understand my note, Minerva?" asked Professor Umbridge in honeyed tines, quite forgetting to cough.

"Of course I understood it" said Professor McGonagall, her teeth clenched so tightly the words came out a little muffled.

"Well, then, I am confused... I'm afraid I don't quite understand how you can give Mr and Miss Potter false hope that..."

"False hope?" repeated Professor McGonagall, still refusing to look round at Professor Umbridge. "They both have achieved high marks in all their Defence Against the Dark Arts tests..."

"I'm terribly sorry to have to contradict you, Minerva, but as you will see from my note, Harry has been achieving very poor results in his classes with me and Emma quite clearly has not been taking my classes..."

"I should have made mu meaning plainer" said Professor McGonagall, turning at last to look Umbridge directly in the eyes. "Harry has achieved high marks in all Defence Against the Dark Arts tests set by a competent teacher and Emma has been taught my Professor Dumbledore who is by far the best wizard in the world."

Professor Umbridge's smile vanished as suddenly as a light bulb blowing. She sat back in her chair, turned a sheet on her clipboard and began scribbling very fast indeed, her bulging eyes rolling from side to side. Professor McGonagall turned back to Harry and Emma, her thing nostrils flared, her eyes burning.

"Any questions, you two?"

"Yes" said Harry, "What sort of character and aptitude tests do the Ministry do on you, if you get enough NEWTs?"

"Well, you'll need to demonstrate the ability to react well to pressure and so forth" said Professor McGonagall "perseverance and dedication, because Auror training takes further three years, not to mention very high skills in practical Defence. It will mean a lot more study even after you've left school, so unless you're prepared to..."

"I think you'll also find" said Umbridge, her voice very cold now "that the Ministry looks into the records of those applying to be Aurors. Their criminal records."

"...unless you're prepared to take even more exams after Hogwarts, you should really look at another..."

"Which means this boy and this thing have as much chance of becoming an Auror as Dumbledore has ever returning to this school."

"A very good chance, then" said Professor McGonagall.

"Both Potters have a criminal record" said Umbridge loudly.

"And both of them have been cleared of all charges" said McGonagall, ever more loudly.

Professor Umbridge stood up. She was so short that this did not make a great deal of a difference, but her fussy, simpering demeanour had given place to a hard fury that made her broad, flabby face look oddly sinister.

"Neither of them have a chance whatsoever of becoming an Auror!"

Professor McGonagall got to her feet, too, and in her case this was a much more impressive move; she towered over Professor Umbridge.

"Miss and Mr Potter" she said in ringing tones "I will assist you to become an Auror if it is the last thing I do! If I have to coach you two nightly, I will make sure you both achieve the required results!"

"The Minister for Magic will never employ Harry Potter and Emma Potter!" sad Umbridge, her voice rising furiously.

"There may well be a new Minister for Magic by the time both Potters are ready to join!" shouted Professor McGonagall.

"Aha!" shrieked Professor Umbridge, pointing a stubby finger at McGonagall. "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Of course! That's what you want, isn't it, Minerva McGonagall? You want Cornelius Fudge replaced by Albus Dumbledore! You think you'll be where I am, don't you: Senior Undersecretary to the Minister and Headmistress to boot!"

"You are raving" said Professor McGonagall, superbly disdainful. "Mr and Miss Potter that concludes our careers consolation."

Harry and Emma swung their bags over their shoulders and hurried out of the room, neither of them daring to look at Professor Umbridge. They could hear her and Professor McGonagall continuing to shout at each other all the way back along the corridor.

Emma could just imagine Professor McGonagall's reaction if they were caught trespassing in Professor Umbridge's office mere hours after she had vouched for them... there was nothing to stop them simply going back to Dumbledore's office- she still did live there even though he's gone- and hoping that some time during the next summer holidays they both would have a chance to ask Sirius about the scene they had witnessed in the Pensieve... nothing, except that the thought of taking this sensible course of action made her feel as though a lead weight had dropped into her stomach... and then there was the matter of Fred and George, whose diversion was already planned, not to mention the knife Sirius had given Harry, which was currently residing in Harry's schoolbag along with his father's old Invisibility Cloak.

But the fact remained that id they both go caught...

And Dumbledore sacrificed himself to keep them in school and if they get thrown out today then it will have all been for nothing.

They could abandon the plan and simply learn to live with the memory of what their father had done on a summer's day more than twenty years ago...

"Please, don't do it!" Hermione said in anguished tones as Harry, Ron and her met Emma after their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson.

Ron seemed determined to give neither his opinion nor his advice; he would not look at Harry or Emma, though when Hermione opened her mouth to try dissuading Harry and Emma some more, he said in a low voice "Give it a rest, okay? They can make up their own minds."

They were halfway along the corridor outside when they head the unmistakeable sounds of a diversion going off in the distance. There were screams and yells reverberating from somewhere above them; people exiting the classrooms all around Harry and Emma were stopping in their tracks and looking up at the ceiling fearfully...

Umbridge came pelting out of her classroom as fast as her short legs would carry her. Pulling out of her wand, she hurried off in the opposite direction: it was now or never.

"Harry-Emma- please!" Hermione pleased weakly.

But they had made up their mind; hitching their bags more securely on to their shoulders, they set off at a run, weaving in and out of students now hurrying in the opposite direction to see what all the fuss was about in the east wing.

They reached the corridor to Umbridge's office and found it deserted. Dashing behind a large suit of armour whose helmet creaked around to watch them, Harry pulled open his bag, seized Sirius's knife and pulled the Invisibility Cloak. They then crept slowly and carefully back out from behind the suit of armour and along the corridor until they reached Umbridge's door.

Harry inserted the blade of the magical knife into the crack around it and moved it gently up and down, then withdrew it. There was a tiny click, and the door swung open. They ducked inside the office, closed the door quickly behind them and looked around.

Nothing was moving except the horrible kittens that were still frolicking on the wall plates behind them and looked around.

Harry pulled the Cloak off them and, striding over to the fireplace, they found what they were looking for within seconds: a small box containing glittering Floo powder.

They crouched down in front of the empty grate, Harry's hands shaking. He had never done this before, though he thought he knew how it must work and it seemed that Emma did to because she stuck her head in the fireplace. Harry copied her and she pinched a bit of powder. She dropped it on the logs stacked neatly beneath them. They exploded at once into emerald green flames.

"Number twelve, Grimmauld Place" Emma said loudly and clearly.

It was probably one of the mist curious sensations they had ever experienced. They had travelled by Floo powder before, of course, but then it had been their entire bodies that had spun around and around in the flames through the network of Wizarding fireplaces that stretched over the country. This time, their knees remained firm upon the cold floor of Umbridge's office, and only their heads hurled through the emerald fire...

And then, as abruptly as it had begun, the spinning stopped. Feeling rather sick as though they were wearing an exceptionally hot muffler around their heads, Harry and Emma opened their eyes to find that they were looking up out of the kitchen fireplace at the ling, wooden table, where a man sat poring over a piece of parchment.

"Sirius?"

The man jumped and looked around. It was not Sirius, but Lupin.

"Harry! Emma!" he said, looking thoroughly shocked. "What are you- what's happened, is everything all right?"

"Yeah" said Harry.

"We were just wondering if we could have a chat with Sirius" said Emma.

"I'll call him" said Lupin, getting to his feet, still looking perplexed, "he went upstairs to look for Kreacher, he seems to be hiding in the attic again..."

And they saw Lupin hurry out of the kitchen. Now they were left with nothing to look at but the chair and table legs. They both wondered why Sirius had never mentioned how very uncomfortable it was to speak out of the fire; their knees were already objecting painfully to their prolonged contact with Umbridge's hard stone floor.

Lupin returned with Sirius at his heels moments later.

"What is it?" said Sirius urgently, sweeping his long dark hair out of his eyes and dropping to the ground in front of the fire, so that Sirius was at eye level with them. Lupin knelt down too, looking very concerned. "Are you all right? Do you need help?"

"No" said Emma "it's nothing like that... we just wanted to talk... about out dad."

They exchanged a look of great surprised. Emma immediately plunged into the story if what they had seen in the Pensieve.

When she had finished, neither Sirius nor Lupin spoke for a moment. Then Lupin said quietly "I wouldn't like you to judge your father on what you saw there. He was only fifteen..."

"We're fifteen!" said Harry heatedly.

"Look, you two" said Sirius placating "James and Snape hated each other from the moment they set eyes on each other, it was just one of those things, you can understand that, can't you. I think James was everything Snape wanted to be- he was popular, he was good at Quidditch- good at pretty much everything. And Snape was just this little oddball who was up to his eye in the Dark Arts, and James- whatever else he may have appeared to you- always hated the Dark Arts."

"Yeah" said Harry "but he just attacked Snape for no good reason, just because- well, just because you said you were bored" he finished, with a slightly apologetic note in his voice.

"I'm not proud of it" said Sirius quickly.

Lupin looked sideways at Sirius, then said "Look, what you've got to understand is that your father and Sirius were the best in te school at whatever they did- everyone thought they were the height of cool- if they sometimes got a bit carried away..."

"If we were sometimes arrogant little berks, you mean" said Sirius.

Lupin smiled.

"He kept messing up his hair" said Harry in a pained voice.

Sirius and Lupin laughed.

"I'd forgotten he used to do that" said Sirius affectionately.

"Was he playing with the Snitch?" said Lupin eagerly.

"Yeah" said Emma, watching uncomprehendingly as Sirius and Lupin beamed reminiscently. "Well... I thought he was a bit of an idiot."

"Of course he was a bit of an idiot!" said Sirius bracingly "we were all idiots! Well- not Moony so much" he said fairly, looking at Lupin.

But Lupin shook his head. "Did I ever tell you to lay off Snape?" he said. "Did I ever have the guts to tell you I thought you were out of order?"

"Yeah, well" said Sirius "you made us feel ashamed of ourselves sometimes... that was something..."

"And" said Harry doggedly, determined to say everything that was on their minds now that they were here "he kept looking over at the girls by the lake, hoping they were watching him!"

"Oh, well, he always made a fool of himself whenever Lily was around" said Sirius, shrugging "he couldn't stop himself showing off whenever he got near her."

"How come she married him?" Emma asked miserably. "She hated him!"

"Bah, she didn't" said Sirius.

"She started going out with him in seventh year" said Lupin.

"Once James had deflated his head a bit" said Sirius.

"And stopped hexing people for the fund of it" said Lupin.

"Even Snape?" said Emma.

"Well" said Lupin slowly "Snape was a special case. I mean, he never lost an opportunity to curse James so you couldn't really expect James to take that lying down could you?"

"And our mum was okay with that?"

"She didn't know too much about it, to tell you the truth" said Sirius. "I mean, James didn't take Snape on dates with her and jinx him in front of her, did he?"

Sirius frowned at Harry and Emma, who was still looking unconvinced.

"Look" he said "your father was the best friend I ever had and he was a good person. A lot of people are idiots at the age of fifteen. He grew out of it."

"Yeah, okay" said Harry heavily.

"I personally never thought we'd ever feel sorry for Snape" said Emma matter-of-factly.

"Now you mention it" said Lupin, a faint crease between his eyebrows "how did Snape react when he found you two had seen all this?£

"He told us he'd never teach us Occlumency again" said Harry indifferently.

"Like that's a big disappointment..." Emma muttered.

"He WHAT?" shouted Sirius, causing Harry to jump and Emma to inhale a mouthful of ashes.

"Are you serious?" said Lupin quickly. "He's stopped giving you two lessons?"

"Yeah" said Harry, surprised at what they considered a great overreaction. "But it's okay, we don't care, it's a bit of a relief to tell you the..."

"I'm coming up there to have a word with Snape!" said Sirius forcefully, and he actually made to stand up, but Lupin wrenched him back down again.

"If anyone's going to tell Snape it will be me!" he said firmly. "But you two, first of all, you're both to go back to Snape and tell him that on no account is he to stop giving you two lessons- when Dumbledore hears..."

"Are you out of your minds?" Emma exploded "he'd kill us!"

"Emma, there is nothing as important as you two learning Occlumency!" said Lupin sternly. "Do you understand me? Nothing!"

"Okay, okay" said Harry, thoroughly discomposed, not to mention annoyed. "We'll... we'll try and say something to him... but it won't be...

He felt silent as Emma kicked him. They heard distant footsteps.

"Is that Kreacher coming downstairs?" asked Harry.

"No" said Sirius, glancing behind him. "It must be somebody you end."

Harry's heart skipped several beats and Emma's sank.

"We'd better go" Harry said hastily and he and Emma pulled their head backwards out of the Grimmauld Place fire. For a moment their heads seemed to be revolving on their shoulders, and then they found themselves kneeling in front of Umbridge's fire with it firmly back on and watching the emerald flames flicker and die.

"Quickly, quickly!" they heard a wheezy voice mutter right outside the office door. "Ah, she's left it open..."

Harry dived for the Invisibility Cloak and had just managed to pull it back over him and Emma when Filch burst into the office. He looked absolutely delighted about something and was talking to himself feverishly as he crossed the room; pulled open a drawer in Umbridge's desk and began rifling through the papers inside it.

"Approval for Whipping... Approval for Whipping... I can do it at last... they've had it coming to them for years..."

He pulled out a piece of parchment, kissed it, then shuffled rapidly back out of the door, clutching it to his chest.

Harry and Emma leaped to their feet and, making sure they had their bags and that the Invisibility Cloak was completely covering them, Harry wrenched open the door and hurried out of the office after Filch, who was hobbling along faster than either Emma or Harry had ever seen him go.

One landing down from Umbridge's office, Harry and Emma thought it was safe to become visible again. Harry pulled the Cloak of them, shoved it in his bag and they hurried onwards. There was a great deal of shouting and movement coming from the Entrance Hall. They ran down the marble staircase and found what looked like most of the school assembled there.

It was just like the night when Trelawney had been sacked. Students were standing all around the walls in a great ring (some of them, Harry and Emma noticed, covered in a substance that looked very much like Stinksap); teachers and ghosts were also in the crowd. Prominent among the onlookers were members of the Inquisitorial Squad, who were all looking exceptionally pleased with themselves, and Peeves, who was bobbing overhead, gazing down at Fred and George who stood in the middle of the floor with the unmistakeable look of two people who had just been cornered.

"So!" said Umbridge triumphantly. They realised she was standing just a few stars in front of them, once more looking down upon her prey. "So- you think it was amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

"Pretty amusing, yeah" said Fred, looking up at her without the slightest sign of fear.

Filch elbowed his way closer to Umbridge, almost crying with happiness.

"I've got the form, Headmistress" he said hoarsely, waving the piece of parchment Harry and Emma had just seen him take from her desk. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting... oh, let me do it now..."

"Very good, Argus" she said. "You two" she went on, gazing down at Fred and George "are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

Fred and George caught Emma's eye and she step through the crowd to them, grinning.

"You know what?" said Fred. "I don't think we are.

He turned to his twin.

"George" said Fred "I think we've outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself" said George lightly.

"I reckon it's time you tested your talents in the real world, do you?" said Emma.

"Definitely" said Fred and George together.

"If you please, Emma" winked George.

And before Umbridge's could say a word, Emma raised her wand and said "_Accio Brooms_!"

Harry heard a loud crash somewhere in the distance. Looking to his left, he ducked just in time. Fred and George's broomsticks, one still trailing the heavy chain and iron peg with which Umbridge had fastened them to the wall, were hurtling along the corridor towards their owners; they turned left, streaked down the stairs and stopped sharply in front of the twins, the chain clattering loudly on the flagged stone floor.

"We won't be seeing you" Fred told Professor Umbridge, swinging his leg over his broomstick.

"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch" said George, mounting his own.

Fred looked around at the assembled students, at the silent, watchful crowd.

"If anyone fancies buying a Protable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley- Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes" he said in a loud voice. "Our new premises!"

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use out products to get rid of this old bat" added George, pointing at Professor Umbridge. George whispered something in Peeves ear and, for once, Peeves looked serious.

"STOP THEM!" shrieked Umbridge, but it was too late. As the Inquisitorial Squad closed in, George gave Emma a quick kiss and Fred and George kicked off from the floor, shooting fifteen feet into the air, the iron peg swinging dangerously below. Fred looked down at the poltergeist bobbing on his level above the crowd.

"Give her hell from us, Peeves."

And Peeves, who Harry had never seen take an order from a student before apart from Emma, swept his belled hat from his head and sprang to a salute as Fred and George wheeled about to tumultuous applause from the students below and sped out of the open front doors into the glorious sunset.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Grawp

The story of Fred and George's flight to freedom was retold so often over the next few days that Harry and Emma could tell it would soon become the stuff of Hogwarts legend: within a week, even those who had been eye-witnesses were half-convinced they had seen the twins five-bomb Umbridge on their brooms and pelt her with Dungbombs before zooming out of the doors. In the immediate aftermath of their departure there was a great wave of talk about copying them. Harry and Emma frequently heard students saying things like "Honestly, some days I just feel like jumping on my broom and leaving this place" or else "One more lesson like that and I might just do a Weasley."

Fred and George had made sure nobody was likely to forget them too soon. For one thing, they had not left instructions on how to remove the swamp that no filled the corridor on the fifth floor of the east wing. Umbridge and Filch had been observed trying different means of removing it but without success. Eventually, the area was roped off and filch, gnashing his teeth furiously, was given the task of punting students across it to their classrooms. Harry and Emma were certain that teachers like McGonagall or Flitwick could have removed the swamp in an instant but, just as in the case of Fred and George's Wildfire Whiz-bangs, they seemed to prefer to watch Umbridge struggle.

Then there were the two large broom0shaped holes in Umbridge's office door, through which Fred and George's Cleansweeps had smashed to rejoin their masters. Filch fitted a new door and removed Harry's Firebolt to the dungeons where, it was rumoured, Umbridge had set an armed security troll to guard it. However, her troubles were far from over.

Inspired by Fred and George's example, a great number of students were now vying for the newly vacant positions of troublemakers-in-Chief. In spite of the new door, somebody managed to slip a hairy-snouted Niffler into Umbridge's office, which promptly tore the place apart in its search for shiny objects, leapt on Umbridge when she entered and tried to gnaw the rings off her stubby fingers. Dungbombs and Stink Pellets were dropped so frequently in the corridor that it became the new fashion for students to perform Bubble-Head Charms on themselves before leaving lessons, which ensured them a supply of fresh air, even though it gave them all the peculiar appearance of wearing upside-down goldfish bowls on their heads. In fact, Emma now had taught almost everyone in the school apart from Slytherin how to decorate their Bubble-Head Charms to how ever they wanted it to be. It was common now to see her standing somewhere in the school surrounded by many students who were begging her to show them how too, though it was clear that everyone had refused to teach the Slytherin because they always wore plain ones.

Filch prowled the corridors with a horsewhip ready in his hands, desperate to catch miscreants, but the problem was that there were now so many of them he never knew which way to turn. The Inquisitorial Squad was attempting to help him, but odd things kept happening to its members, Warrington of the Slytherin Quidditch team reported tot eh hospital wing with a horrible skin complaint that made him look as though he had been coated in cornflakes; Pansy Parkinson, to Hermione's delight, missed all of her lessons the following day as she had sprouted antlers.

Meanwhile, it became clear just how many Skiving Snackboxes Fred and George had managed to sell- and just how often Emma snuck out of school to get fresh supplies for everyone- before leaving Hogwarts. Umbridge only had to enter her classroom for the students assembled there to faint, vomit, develop dangerous fevers or else spout blood from both nostrils. Shrieking with rage and frustration, she attempted to trace the mysterious symptoms to their source, but the students told her stubbornly they were suffering from 'Umbridge-itis'. After putting four successive classes in detention and failing to discover their secret, she was forced to give up and allow the bleeding, swooning, sweating and vomiting students to leave her classes in droves where they would meet Emma in the Room of Requirement to practise some real Defence Against the Dark Arts.

But not even the users of the Snackboxes could compete with the master of chaos, Peeves, who seemed to have take Fred's parting words deeply to hear. Cackling madly, he soared through the school, upending the tables, bursting out of blackboards, toppling statues and vases; twice he shut Mrs Norris inside a suit of armour from which she was rescued, yowling loudly, by the furious caretaker. Peeves smashed lanterns and snuffed out candles, juggled burning torches over the heads of screaming students, caused neatly stacked piles of parchment to topple into fires or out of windows' flooded the second floor when he pulled of all the taps in the bathrooms, dropped a bag of tarantulas in the middle of the Great Hall during breakfast and, whenever he fancied a break, spent hours at a time floating along after Umbridge and blowing loud raspberries every time she spoke.

None of the staff but Filch seemed to be stirring themselves to help her. Indeed, a week after Fred and George's departure Harry and Emma witnessed Professor McGonagall walking right past Peeves, who was determinedly loosening a crystal chandelier, and could had sworn they heard her tell the poltergeist out of the corner of her mouth "It unscrews the other way."

To cap matters, Montague had still not recovered from his sojourn in the toilet; he remained confused and disorientated and his parents were to be observed one Tuesday morning striding up the front drive, looking extremely angry.

It was a Saturday evening when Emma came limping into the common room, looking like she was in agony. Everyone came running up too her, asking her what was wrong.

"It's nothing" Emma grimaced. Just then, they all saw the blood on her leg and it was _a lot._

"Sit" Hermione commanded and Emma grimaced in pain as she sat down on a chair. Hermione gently lifted up her trouser leg and everyone gasped. Her leg had whips marks all over and they were bleeding badly.

"Emma" said Ginny "what happened?"

"Fine, if you must know, Umbridge had Filch whip me a thousand times for helping Fred and George escape. Filch was angry because he couldn't catch anyone so he made it two-thousand. Honestly, it's not as bad as it looks" Emma lied about the last part. The fact was that it was worst than it looks.

There were angry murmurs that went around the Gryffindor circle.

"You need to go and see Madam Pomfrey" said Hermione. Emma glared but then sighed. Yes, she did and there was no point in saying otherwise.

"Fine" she grumbled. Lee and Harry helped her up and guided her out of the portrait whole accompanied by Ginny, Ron and Hermione.

"Oh my goodness" said Madam Pomfrey, and ushered them to a bed where Emma sat down, wincing.

She then began her magic on Emma's leg and after a painful hour, she was finished.

"Now, if you're going anywhere, you have to use these" said Madam Pomfrey, handing her crutches. Emma muttered something that they couldn't understand and took them.

"Thanks, Madam Pomfrey" she said and walked as best as she could with the crutches out of the hospital with everyone tailing worriedly along behind her.

"If George knew..." Lee started but Emma whirled around, looking slightly scared and worried at the same time.

"If you tell him, I swear you will regret it. I do not need a worried George on my case" she said, rubbing her leg because she had put too much weight on it.

"Fine" said Lee, holding up his hands "I won't tell him."

"Good" said Emma and began to walk back to Gryffindor Tower.

When they got back, Hermione, Ron, Harry and Emma sat in the corner.

"It's just occurred to me, how did Fred and George got their premises?" asked Ron.

"Well, yes, that occurred to me, too" said Hermione. "I've been wondering whether Mundungus has persuaded them to sell stolen goods or something awful."

"He hasn't" said Harry and Emma together curtly.

"How do you know?" said Ron and Hermione together.

"Because, well, Harry gave them the Triwizard winnings last June and I've been helping them sell so they earn more money" said Emma, felling that now was the moment to confess because there was no good to be gained in keeping silent if it meant anyone suspected that Fred and George were criminals.

There was a shocked silence.

"Oh, Harry, Emma, you didn't" Hermione moaned.

"Yes, we did" said Harry mutinously. "And we don't regret it, either. I didn't need the gold and they'll be great running a joke shop."

The final match of the Quidditch season, Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw, was to take place on the last weekend of May. Although Slytherin had been narrowly defeated by Hufflepuff in their last match, Gryffindor and Emma were not daring to hope for victory, due mainly (though of course nobody said it to him) to Ron's abysmal goalkeeping record. He, however, seemed to have found a new optimism.

"I mean, I can't get any worse, can I?" he told Harry, Hermione and Emma grimly over breakfast on the morning of the match. "Nothing to lose now, is there?"

"You know" said Hermione, as she, Harry and Emma walked down to the pitch a little later in the midst of a very excitable crowd "I think Ron might do better without Fred and George around. They never exactly gave him a lot of confidence. No affiance" she added to Emma who merely smiled.

Luna Lovegood overtook them with what appeared to be a live eagle perched on top of her head.

"Oh, gosh, I forgot!" said Hermione, watching the eagle flapping its wings as Luna walked serenely past a group of cackling and pointing Slytherins. "Cho with be playing, won't she?"

Harry merely grunted. Emma guessed they hadn't made up yet.

They found seats in the topmost row of the stands. It was a fine, clear day; Ron could not wish for better, and Harry and Emma found themselves hoping against hope that Ron would not give the Slytherins cause for more rousing choruses of 'Weasley is out King'.

"And their off!" said Lee Jordan. "And Davies takes the Quaffle immediately, Ravenclaw Captain Davies with the Quaffle, he dodges Johnson, he dodges Bell, he dodges Spinnet as well... he's going straight for goal! He's going to shoot- and- and..." Lee swore very loudly. "And he's scored.

Harry, Hermione and Emma groaned with the rest of the Gryffindors. Predictably, horribly, the Slytherins on the other side of the stands began to sing.

"Harry" said a hoarse voice in Harry and Emma's ear "Hermione...Emma..."

They looked round and saw Hagrid's enormous bearded face sticking between the seats. Apparently, he had squeezed his way all along the row behind, for the first and second-years he had just passed had a ruffled, flattened look about them. For some reason, Hagrid was bent double as though anxious not to be seen, though he was still at least four feet taller than everybody else.

"Listen" he whispered "can yeh come with me? Now? While everyone's watchin' the match?"

"Err... can't it wait, Hagrid?" asked Harry. "Till the match is over?"

"No" said Hagrid. "No, harry, it's gotta be now... while everyone's lookin' the other way...please?"

Hagrid's nose was gently dripping blood. His eyes were both blackened. Harry and Emma had not seen him this close-up since his return to the school; he looked utterly woebegone.

"Course" said Emma at once "course we'll come."

He, Hermione and Emma edged back along their row of seats, causing much grumbling among the students who had to stand up for them. The people in Hagrid's row were not complaining, merely attempting to make themselves as small as possible.

"I appreciate this, you three, I really do" said Hagrid as they reached the stairs. He kept looking around nervously as they descended towards the lawn below. "I just hope she doesn't notice us gone."

"You mean Umbridge?" said Emma. "She won't, she's got her whole Inquisitorial Squad sitting with her, didn't you see? She must be expecting trouble at the match."

"A little trouble won't hurt" Hagrid muttered.

Emma winced as they entered the forest. Even though she had spent most of her life in here, it still wasn't her most favourite place to be.

"Hagrid, why are you armed?" said Harry. It was then, did Emma see Hagrid's crossbow over his arm.

"Just a precaution" Hagrid said, shrugging his massive shoulders.

The path they were following was becoming increasingly overgrown and the trees grew closely together as they walked further and further into the Forest that it was as dark as dusk. This didn't bother Emma, though, because she had excellent site in the dark. The only thing that changed for her was the colours.

They were soon a long way past the clearing where Hagrid had shown them the Thestrals =, but Harry and Emma felt no sense of unease until Hagrid stepped unexpectedly off the path and began wending his way in and out of trees towards the dark heart of the Forest.

"Hagrid!" said Emma, fighting her way through the thickly knotted brambles over which Hagrid had stepped with ease, and remembering very vividly what had happened to her on the other occasion she had stepped off the Forest path. "Where are we going?"

"But further" aid Hagrid over his shoulder. "C'mon, Emma... we need ter keep together."

Emma sighed and whipped out her wand before stepping in front of Harry and Hermione. She used it and her hands to snap everything in their path to make it clear for them to walk. She knew that Hermione and Harry were impressed by her strength but she knew that was only because they had forgotten that she was a vampire; again.

"Hagrid, would it be all right if I lit my wand?" Emma asked. She didn't have a problem but Harry and Hermione were.

"Err... all right" Hagrid whispered back. "In fact..."

He stopped suddenly and turned around, Emma walked right into him and was knocked over backwards. This shocked; not many things could knock her over. Harry caught her just before she hit the Forest floor.

"Maybe we best just stop fer a moment, so I can... fill yeh in" Hagrid said. "Before we get there."

"Good!" said Hermione, as Harry set Emma back on her feet. Emma waved her wand and a multicoloured light floated up in the air just above their heads like a star. Hermione and Harry gasped in awe but she merely rolled her eyes.

"Right" said Hagrid. "Well...see...the thing is..."

He took a great breath.

"Well, there's a good chance I'm going ter be getting the sack any day now" he said. "And I can't leave without telling someone...because I'll- I'll need yeh three ter help me. An' Ron, if he's willin'."

"Of course we'll help you" said Emma at once.

"What do you want us to do?" asked Harry.

Hagrid have a great sniff and patted Harry and Emma wordlessly on the shoulders with such force that Harry was knocked sideways into a tree but Emma merely wavered slightly.

"I knew yeh'd say yes" said Hagrid into his handkerchief "but I won'... never...forget...well...c'mon...just a little bit further through here...watch yerselves, now, there's nettles..."

They walked on in silence for another fifteen minutes. Emma, with stinging pain everywhere from nettles, had just opened her mouth to ask how much further they had to go when Hagrid threw out his right arm to signal that they should stop.

"Really easy" he said softly. "Very quiet, now..."

They crept forwards and Harry saw that they were facing a large, smooth mound of earth nearly as tall as Hagrid that they though, with a jolt of dread, was sure to be the lair of some enormous animal. Trees had been ripped up at the roots all around the mound, so that it stood on a bare patch of ground surrounded by heaps of trunks and boroughs that formed a kind of fence or barricade, behind which Harry, Emma, Hermione and Hagrid now stood.

"Sleepin'" breathed Hagrid.

"Thank God" Emma breathed. "I do _not _want to have to save lives today."

Harry could hear a distant, rhythmic rumbling that sounded like a pair of enormous lungs at work. He glanced sideways at Hermione and Emma, who were gazing at the mound. Hermione's mouth was slightly open and Emma's eyes were wide. They both looked utterly terrified.

"Who is he?" they asked together, turning to look at Hagrid.

Harry found this an odd question... 'What is it?' was the one he had been planning on asking.

"Why, Hagrid, did you have to bring a giant back?" asked Emma in a disapproving tone, despite to the look on her face.

"I knew if I just got him back" said Hagrid, sounding close to tears "an'- an' taught him a few manners- I'd be able ter take him outside an' who everyone he's harmless!"

"Harmless" said Hermione shrilly, and Hagrid made frantic hushing noises with his hands as the enormous creature before them grunted loudly and shifted in its sleep. "He's been hurting you all this time, hasn't he? That's why you've had all these injuries!"

"He don' know his own strength!" said Hagrid earnestly. "An' he's getting better; he's not fighting so much anymore..."

"So, this is why it took you two months to get him!" said Emma distractedly. "Oh, Hagrid, why did you bring him back if he didn't want to come? Wouldn't he have been happier with his own people?"

"They were bullyin' him, Emma, 'cause he's s small!" said Hagrid.

"Small?" said Hermione, Harry and Emma together.

"I couldn' leave him" said Hagrid, tears now trickling down his bruised face into his bear. "See- he's my brother!"

Emma sighed. She couldn't argue with Hagrid anymore once he'd said that. She could leave Harry even though it basically put his and her life on the line. She had made herself his protector and, when he made best friends with Hermione and Ron, she made herself their protector to.

"Fine, I'll help" she grumbled. "After all, I can't argue with you seen as I've been through your situation and I can't just leave and never look back because I just don't do that. So I guess I'm in."

Harry and Hermione looked at her with expressions of incredulous on their faces but Hagrid beamed at her.

"What does looking after him involve, exactly?" Hermione sighed. She wasn't about to leave Emma to do all the work by herself. She maybe a vampire, but she couldn't do everything.

"Just talkin' to 'im and stuff" Hagrid said cheerfully. It didn't seem to bad. "Now, I'll wake 'im up- introduce yeh..."

"Wha- no!" Hermione said. "Hagrid, no, don't wake him, really, we don't need..."

But Hagrid had already stepped over the great tree trunk in front of them and was proceeding towards Grawp. When he was about ten feet away, he lifted a long, broken bough form the ground, smiled reassuringly over his shoulder as Harry, Hermione and Emma, then pocked Grawp hard in the middle of the back with the end of the bough.

The giant gave a roar that echoed around the silent Forest; birds in the treetops overhead rose twittering from their perches and soared away. Emma placed herself in front of Hermione and Harry, crouching into an unmistakable protective crouch. Harry didn't like this once bit but he also knew that it would be impossible to move her seen as she had strength that was about twenty times his.

Grawp, without warning, pushed himself to his feet with surprising speed and agility.

"Oh my!" Emma heard Hermione squeal, behind her.

All righ', Grawpy?" Hagrid shouted up to him "I've brought some friends ter meet yeh. Remember, I told yeh I might? Remember, when I said I might have ter go on a little trip an' leave them ter look after yeh fer a bit? Remember that, Grawpy?"

Hagrid pocked Grawp in the knee, causing him to look down at them.

"This" said Hagrid, hastening over to where Harry, Hermione and Emma stood "is Emma, Gawp" Emma Potter. She might be coming ter visit yeh if I have to go away, understand? And this, this is Harry. Harry Potter. He also migh' be comin' to visit yeh. And this is Hermione, see? Her..." Hagrid hesitated. Turning to Hermione, he said "Would yeh mind if he called yeh Hermy, Hermione. On'y it's difficult name fer him ter remember."

"No, not at all" squeaked Hermione.

"This is Hermy, Grawp! An' she's gonna be commin' an' all! Isn't that nice? Eh? Three friends fer yeh ter- GRAWPY, NO!"

Grawp's hand came out if nowhere and grabbed Emma, pulling her up to his face.

Hagrid was about to hit Grawp when Emma called down "Wait Hagrid."

She looked at Grawp with the softest expression and said slowly and gently "Hello, Grawp. How are you? My name is Emma Potter."

Grawp looked confused before he said in a rumbling voice "Hello."

Emma smiled at him and said "Please can you put me down."

Gawp slowly lowered her down and set her on the ground where Harry and Hermione pulled her in to a hug. They had obviously been scared for her.

"I'm okay" she whispered to them and they let her go.

"Well, I reckon tha's enough fer one day" said Hagrid. "We'll- err- we'll go back now, shall we?"

Harry, Hermione and Emma nodded. Hagrid shouldered his crossbow again and led the way back into the trees.

Nobody spoke for a while, not even when they heard the distant crash that meant Grawp had pulled over the pine tree at last. Hermione's face was pale and set. Emma's face was full of delight. Harry could not think of a single thing to say. What on earth was going to happen when somebody found out that Hagrid had hidden Grawp in the Forbidden Forest? And he had promised that he, Ron, Hermione and Emma would continue Hagrid's totally pointless attempts to civilise the giant. How could Hagrid, even with his immense capacity to delude himself that fanged monsters were loveably harmless, fool himself that Grawp would ever be fit to mix with humans?

"Hold it" said Hagrid abruptly, just as Harry and Hermione were struggling through a patch of thick knotgrass with Emma trying to help behind him. He pulled an arrow out of the quiver over his shoulder and fitted it into the crossbow. Harry, Hermione and Emma raised their wands; now that they had stopped walking, they, too, could hear movement close by.

"Oh, blimey" said Hagrid quietly.

"I thought we told you, Hagrid" said a deep male voice "that you are no longer welcome here?"

A man's naked torso seemed for an instant to be floating towards them through the dappled green half-light; then they saw, thanks to Emma's light, that his waist joined smoothly into a horse's chestnut body. This centaur had a proud, high-cheekbone face and long black hair. Like Hagrid, he was armed; a quiverful of arrows and a longbow were slung over his shoulders.

"How are yeh, Magorian?" asked Hagrid warily.

The trees behind the centaur rustled and four or five more centaurs emerged behind him. Harry and Emma recognised the black-bodied and bearded Bane. Band gave no sign that he had ever seen neither Harry nor Emma before.

"So" he said, with a nasty inflection in his face, before turning immediately to Magorian. "We agreed, I think, what we would do if this human ever showed his face in the Forest again?"

"'This human' now, am I?" said Hagrid testily.

"What would you like to be called? The half-human, half-giant?" Emma whispered to him. Hagrid ignored her and carried on what he was saying.

"Jus' fer stoppin' all of yeh committing murder?"

"You ought not to have meddled, Hagrid" said Magorian. "Our ways are not your, nor are out laws. Firenze has betrayed and dishonoured us."

"I dunno how yeh work that out" said Hagrid impatiently.

"Isn't it obvious, Hagrid?" Emma said, turning to face him with a disbelieving look on her face. "They believe that they should be a free race and not be used as common mules for humans. Dur." She rolled her eyes at him.

"Ah, the vampire understands" said Bane in a nasty voice.

"I shall let you pass today, Hagrid" said Magorian smoothly "because you are accompanied by your young..."

"They're not his!" interrupted Bane contemptuously. "Students. Magorian, from up at the school! They have probably profited from the traitor Firenze's teachings."

"Nevertheless" said Magorian calmly "the slaughter of foals is a terrible crime- we do not touch the innocent. Today, Hagrid, you pass. Henceforth, stay away from this place. You forfeited the friendship of the centaurs when you helped the traitor Firenze escape us."

"I won' be kept outta the Forest by a bunch o' old mules like yeh!" aid Hagrid loudly.

"Hagrid" said Hermione in a high-pitched and terrified voice, as both Bane and the grey centaur pawed at the ground. "Let's go, please let's go!"

Hagrid moved forwards, but his crossbow was still raised and his eyes were still fixed threateningly upon Magorian.

"We know what you are keeping in the Forest, Hagrid!" Magorian called after them, as the centaurs slipped out of sight. "And out tolerance is waning!"

Hagrid turned and gave every appearance of wanting to walk straight back to Magorian.

"Yeh'll tolerate 'im as long as he's here, it's as much his Forest as your!" he yelled, as Emma- surprisingly- place her hands on his back and lifted him up, carrying him a little way before dropping him when she was sure he wasn't going to go back.

At least, they rejoined the path and, after another ten minutes, the trees began to thin; they were able to see patches of clear blue sky again and, in the distance, the definite sounds of cheering and shouting.

"Was that another goal?" asked Hagrid, pausing in the shelter of the Trees as the Quidditch stadium came into view. "Or d'yeh reckon the match is over?"

"I don't know" said Hermione miserable. Her hair was full of twigs and leaves, her robes were ripped in several places and there were numerous scratches on her face and arms.

"It's probably over" Emma added. She had much worse than either Harry or Hermione seen as she went first. She had bruises, cuts and stings on her legs and arms. Her long, red hair that was usually all the way down her back, was now only half way because of all the leaves, twigs and knots there were in it. "Look, there's people coming out already- if we hurry, we'll be able ter blend in with the crowd and no one will know we were gone.

"Good idea" said Harry. "Well...see you later, then, Hagrid."

"I don't believe him" said Hermione in a very unsteady voice the moment they were out of earshot of Hagrid. "I don't believe him. I really don't believe him."

"Me neither." Emma's voice was surprisingly a higher pitch than usual.

"Calm down" said Harry.

"Calm down" Emma said feverishly. "A giant! A giant in the Forest! And we're supposed to give him English lessons!

"Always assuming, of course, we can get past the herd of murderous centaurs on the way in and out!" Hermione added.

"I-don't-believe-him!" they said together.

"We haven't got to do anything yet!" Harry tried to reassure them in a quiet voice, as they joined a stream of jabbering Hufflepuffs heading back towards the castle. "He's not asking us to do anything unless he gets chucked out and that might not even happen."

"Oh, come off it, Harry!" said Hermione angrily, stopping dead in her tracks so that the people behind her had to swerve to avoid her. "Of course he's going to be chucked out and, to be perfectly honest, after what we've just seen, who can blame Umbridge?"

There was a pause in which Harry and Emma glared at her, and her eyes filled slowly with tears.

"You didn't mean that" said Harry quietly.

"No..well...all right...I didn't" she said, wiping her eyes angrily. "But why does he have to make life so difficult for himself- for us?"

"I dunno" replied Emma.

_Weasley is out King_

_Weasley is our King_

_He didn't let the Quaffle in_

_Weasley is out King_

"And I wish they'd stop singing that stupid song" said Hermione miserably "haven't they gloated enough?"

A great tide of students was moving up the sloping lawns form the pitch.

"Oh, let's get in before we have to meet the Slytherins" said Hermione.

_Weasley can save anything_

_He never leaves a single ring_

_That's why Gryffindors all sing:_

_Weasley is out King_

"Hermione..." said Emma slowly.

The song was growing louder, but it was issuing not from a crowds of green-and-silver-clad Slytherins, but from a mass of red and gold moving slowly towards the castled, bearing a solitary figure upon its many shoulders.

_Weasley is out King_

_Weasley is out King_

_He didn't let the Quaffle in_

_Weasley is out King_

"No?" said Hermione in a hushed voice.

"YES!"said Harry and Emma loudly.

"HARRY! EMMA! HERMIONE!" yelled Ron, waving over the silver Quidditch cup in the air and looking quite beside himself. "WE DID IT! WE WON!"

They beamed up at him as he passed. There was a scrum at the door of the castle and Ron's head got rather badly bumped on the lintel, but nobody seemed to want to put him down. Still singing, the crowd squeezed itself into the Entrance Hall and out of sight. Harry, Hermione and Emma watched them go, beaming, until the last echoing strains of 'Weasley is out Kind' died away. Then they turned to each other, their smiles fading.

"We'll save out news till tomorrow, shall we?" said Harry.

"Yeah" Emma agreed.

"Yes, all right" said Hermione wearily. "I'm not in any hurry."

They climbed the steps together. At the front doors both instinctively looked back at the Forbidden Forest. Harry and Emma were not sure whether or not it was their imagination, but they rather though they saw a small cloud of birds erupting into the air over the tree tops in the distance, almost as though the tree in which they had been nesting had just been pulled up by the roots.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

The vision

Ron's excitement at helping Gryffindor scrape the Quidditch cup was such that he couldn't settle to anything next day. All he wanted to do was talked over the match, so Harry, Emma and Hermione found it very difficult to find an opening in which to mention Grawp. Not that they tried very hard' none of them were keen to bet the one to bring Ron back to reality in quite such a brutal fashion. As it was another fine, warm day, they persuaded him to join them in revising under the beach tree at the edge of the lake, where they had less chance of being overheard than in the common room.

They spread their books out in the shade of the beech tree and sat down. While Emma helped Harry revise, Ron talked them though his first save of the match for what felt like the millionth time. Emma thought that all of the fame was going to his head a bit.

"Well, I mean, I'd already let in that one of Davies's, so I wasn't feeling all that confident, but I dunno, when Bradley came towards me, just out of nowhere, I thought- _you can do this_! And I had about a second to decide which way to fly, you know, because he looked like he was aiming for the right goal hoop but I had a funny feeling that he was feinting, and so I took the chance and flew left and- well- you saw what happened" he concluded modestly, sweeping his hair back quite unnecessarily so that it looked interestingly windswept his hair back and glancing around to see whether he people nearest to them had heard him. "And then, when Chambers came at me five minutes later- what?" Ron asked, having stopped in mid-sentence at the look on Harry and Emma's faces. "Why are you two grinning?"

"We're not" Emma said quickly, and the two of them looked back down at Harry's badly written Transfiguration notes, attempting to straighten their faces. The truth was that Ron had reminded Harry and Emma forcibly of another Gryffindor Quidditch player who had once sat rumbling his hair under this very tree.

"We're just glad we won, that's all" Harry added.

"Yeah" said Ron slowly, savouring the words "we won. Did you see the look on Chang's face when Ginny got the Snitch right out from under her nose?"

"I supposed she cried, did she?" said harry bitterly. Emma inwardly grinned. Good-bye Cho; hello Ginny. Finally.

"Well, yeah- more out of temper than anything though..." Ron frowned slightly. "But you were there, weren't you?"

"Err..." said Harry.

"Well, actually...no Ron" said Hermione with a heavy sigh, putting down her book and looking at him apologetically. "As a matter of fact, the only bit of the match that Harry, Emma and I saw was Davies's first goal."

"You didn't stay to watch?" he said faintly. "You didn't see me make any of those saves?"

"Well, no" Harry admitted.

"But Ron, we didn't want to leave- we had to" Hermione said, stretching out a placatory hand towards him.

"Yeah" said Ron almost challengingly "how come?"

"It was Hagrid" Emma explained. "He decided to tell us why he's been covered in injuries ever since he got back from the giants. He wanted us to go to the Forest with him, we had no choice, and you know how he gets. Anyway..."

The story was told in five minutes.

"He brought one back and hid it in the Forest?" said Ron incredulity.

"Yep" said Harry grimly.

"No" said Ron. "No, he can't have."

"Well, he has" said Hermione firmly. "Grawp is about sixteen feet tall, enjoys ripping up twenty-foot trees, and he know me" she snorted "as Hermy."

Ron gave her a nervous laugh.

"And Hagrid wants us to...?"

"Teach him English" said Emma, rolling her eyes.

"He's lost it" said Ron in an almost awed voice. Emma couldn't help but agree with him, though she didn't like to admit it.

"Yes" said Hermione irritably. "Yes, I'm starting to think he has. But, unfortunately, he made Harry, Emma and I promise."

"Well, you've just going to have to break your promise, that's all" said Ron firmly. "I mean, come on...we've got exams and we're too close to getting chucked out as it is."

"I hate breaking my promises" Emma mumbled.

Ron smoothed his hair flat again, looking preoccupied.

"Well "he sighed "Hagrid hasn't been sacked yet, has he? He's hung on this long, maybe he'll hang on till the end of term and we won't have to go near Grawp at al."

"I hope" Emma added, staring across the lake with a blank expression.

Dinner was a nightmare. Harry and Ron did not talk much, but ate with hast, having studied- with the help of Emma- all day. Hermione, on the other hand, kept putting down her knife and fork and diving under the table for her bag, from which she would seize a book to check some fact or figure. Emma was just telling her that she needed to give it a rest or she'll have trouble sleeping tonight when her fork slid from her limp fingers and landed with a loud tinkle on her plate.

"Oh my goodness" she said faintly, staring into the Entrance Hall. "Is that them? Is that the examiners?"

Emma slowly turned her head. Through the doors to the Great Hall they could see Umbridge standing with a small group of ancient-looking witches and wizards. Umbridge, Harry and Emma were pleased to see, looked rather nervous.

"Yep, that's them" Emma said. "They tested me last year."

"Shall we go and have a closer look?" said Ron.

Emma sighed. She really didn't want to talk to them but nodded anyway. They hastened towards the double doors into the Entrance Hall and then slowed down as they stepped over the threshold to walk sedately past the examiners.

"Journey was fine, journey was fine, we're made it plenty of times before!" Professor Marchbanks said impatiently. "Now, I haven't heard from Dumbledore lately!" she added, peering around the Hall and her eyes landed on Emma. "Ah, Miss Potter, I haven't seen you in a while, my dear. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you Professor" Emma replied as Professor Marchbanks shook her hand. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you Miss Potter. Ah, are these your friends you told me so much about?" Her eyes were on Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Yes" Emma replied. "This is my brother, Harry Potter-who you should know-and our two best friends, Hermione Granger-the cleverest in our year- and Ron Weasley- our very own Quidditch champion when it comes to goal keeping."

Ron and Hermione blushed at her introduction and looked shocked when she shook their hands but looked pleased all the same.

"Yes...well..." said a very shocked Professor Umbridge, staring at the scene in front of her as all the examiners bustled forwards to shake their hands "let me show you to the staff room. I dare say you'd like a cup of tea after your journey."

Emma gapped at the scene in front of her. How dare they attack Hagrid in the dead of the night? That was totally out of line, even for the Ministry!

When Professor McGonagall was shot with four stunning spells, Emma screamed "NO!" and rushed forward with her wands raised, ready to attack.

She gasped as at least ten stunning spells hit her, sending her flying into a wall. She felt her head smash against the wall and cried out in pain, reaching up to her head to feel the dampness. She slowly lowered it and sniffed, seeing the blood on her hands. That was when everything went blank.

The next thing Emma knew, she was opening her eyes and she was in the hospital wing. She also noticed that she had a cracking headache and that there were please standing around her bed looking very worried in deed. What was that all about?

She groaned and tired to sit up, feeling the back of her head where she distinctly knew where the wound was. It was healed, thanks to her being a vampire and Madam Pomfrey brilliant. A hand pushed her back down and she looked up to see who it was.

"Bloody hell, George" she exclaimed.

"Surprise" he winked. Emma looked around and saw Harry, Hermione, Lee and Ron.

"What the hell are you doing here? What is Umbridge catches you here" she almost shouted and George put a finger on her lips to keep her quiet.

"You think I wouldn't come to see you?" he grinned but Emma knew he was hiding something.

She glared at Lee and growled "You told him, didn't you!"

"Hey! He needed to know" Lee defended himself, rolling his eyes at her.

"Yeh, yeh. Well, George worries too much" Emma muttered.

"Well, I can't argue with that, my dear" Lee shrugged.

"I'm still here you know" George said hotly and Emma kissed him quickly with a small smile on her face.

"Ah, you're awake" said Madam Pomfrey as Emma head started to spin vigorously.

"How much blood did I lose?" she asked, closing her eyes, hoping this would help stop the spinning. Unfortunately, though, this didn't help one bit, it only made it worse.

"A lot, you're going to have to hunt now" Madam Pomfrey said, helping Emma up.

Emma tried to stand but collapsed back onto the bed again.

"Here" said George, holding out his wrist. Emma saw his vain pulsing with blood and bit down the desire to bite.

"No, it's too dangerous" Emma argued.

"Just do it" George rolled his eyes.

"No, do you have any idea of how easily I could kill you" Emma replied, folding her arms.

George sighed, reached into his pocket and pulled out a pocket knife, holding it to his wrist. Emma growled.

"You wouldn't dare" she scowled at him.

"Just bite and I won't have to" he said simply. Emma sighed, giving in and put his wrist to her mouth, kissing it.

"Are you sure?"

"Emma! Bite!"

She did as she was told and moaned as his blood ran down her throat. She forgot how good human blood tasted! She closed her eyes tight, trying to remember this was George and that she could easily kill him if she lost control. It was hard, but she pulled away in the end.

"Better?" George asked, rubbing his wrist.

Emma licked her lips and replied "Yes, thank you."

"You're welcome" he smiled weakly. Emma wordlessly took his wrist and licked the wound which instantly healed, looking as if it was weeks rather than seconds old.

Harry looked at his watch and said "We better get to bed or Umbridge with catch us."

Emma nodded and looked at George.

"Room of Requirement" he stated and Emma nodded.

"What?" asked Ron, confused.

"Catch up time" Hermione explained for Emma.

Emma grabbed Georges hand and seemed too glided out of the room. Once they were through the doors, Emma tapped him on the shoulder, making him invisible and they went straight to the Room of Requirement.

Emma and George quickly stepped inside and gasped at the same time. It was just so different!

There was a king sized bed tucked up in the corner and a fluffy white rug in the middle. The light was dim because there were only five candles in the room. Emma sighed with a smile on her face and turned to face George who had now reappeared. She crashed her lips to his hungrily, kissing him urgently. After a couple of minutes, she let him breath- she, of course, didn't need to breath because she was a vampire- and made her way down her neck, sucking slightly.

"Miss me then?" George said breathlessly.

"Mmmm" Emma mumbled on his neck, grazing her teeth very lightly on his pulse making his breath hitch. She smirked. She loved the effect she had on him. Slowly, she pulled away to see George's eyes were alive with excitement. She giggled and pulled him into a seat, curling herself into his side.

George loved the way she and him fitted together like two pieces of a puzzle. She hated to fact that she was so small but George liked it. It made him feel as though protective and that he could actually protect her from the world.

All of a sudden, Emma gasped jumping up, her eyes blank. George knew that look.

"What is it?"

"Sirius!"


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Fight and Flight

Emma rushed out of the Room of Requirement after explaining to George what she had seen. He understood, of course.

"Go" he had said with a small smile.

What had she done to deserve such a man?

She ran as fast as she could at vampire speed to the room where she knew that Harry was trying to persuade Hermione and Ron that what he had seen was real. She had to help him. And help Sirius.

She burst into the room, panting like mad.

"What Harry saw was true" she panted. "I've seen it too. As a vision, we have to go, now!"

She saw that it wasn't just Hermione, Ron and Harry in the room but Luna, Ginny and Neville as well.

Hermione finally looked convinced.

"All right" she said "we need to find out how we're going to get there."

"Thestrals" Emma replied as if it was obvious and she winked at Luna who smiled her mysterious smile.

"Let's go" Ginny said and they all ran down towards the forest.

As they were at the edge, Emma said quietly "I don't want to worry you guys or anything but Umbridge is following us. I think she thinks that we're going to a secret weapon or something. That silly cow."

They chuckled.

"Follow me" Emma said quickly and darted to the left, right towards a herd of centaurs.

"Why do you come here?" asked one of the centaurs. "Especially with these young ones."

"I am here on a matter of life and death" Emma replied calmly. "May we pass?"

"Of course." The centaur bowed his head and Emma strode forwards.

"Thank you" she smiled warmly at the centaur, then added "hurry up or she'll find us. We have to go to the clearing."

Emma quickly ran through the forest with everyone a step or two behind her. She could only hope that they could get there in time.

She burst into the clearing and turned to face the others.

"How are we going to find mad horse things?" Ron said uncertainly. "Those ones you can't see unless you've watched someone snuff it?"

"I'm going to have to cut myself" Emma shrugged as if it was nothing.

"No!" said Harry angrily.

"Yes" Emma snapped back.

"There must be another way to get them here!"

"No, there isn't. Now, the more you argue with me, the less chance Sirius is going to live so shut up!" Emma replied, her golden eyes flashing dangerously.

Harry opened his mouth to argue but no words came out. It was obvious that he had nothing to say to that. Emma raised her wrist and bit down, hard, then jerked her head. She winced in pain as she lowered her hand and let the blood drip to the floor.

"Look, here they come" said Luna, smiling. "You must really smell good to them, Emma."

"It's because I'm full of animal blood" Emma said, holding her wrist up to one of the Thestrals who started to lick it.

"There's seven, let's go" Harry said.

Harry wound his hand tightly into the mane of the nearest Thestral, placed a foot on a stump nearby and scrambled clumsily on to the horse's silken back. It did not object.

"How're we supposed to get on?" said Ron faintly. "When we can't see the things?"

"Oh, it's easy" said Luna and she and Emma helped them on to Thestrals.

Hermione, Ron and Ginny looked extremely nervous as Emma and Luna wounds their hands into their horse's mane and told them to grip tightly before they got on to their own steed.

"This is mad" Ron murmured, moving his free hand gingerly up and down his horse's neck. "Mad... if I could just see it..."

"You'd better hope it stays invisible" said Emma darkly. "We all ready, then?"

They all nodded.

"Okay" she said, and then looked at her horse. "Please take us to the Ministry of Magic, visitors' entrance, London."

For a moment Emma's Thestral did nothing at all; then, with a sweeping movement, the wings on either side extended; the horse crouched slowly, and then rocketed upwards so fast and steeply. Emma smiled as she and the others soared out into the blood-red sunset.

Emma imagined how it must feel to be speeding along at this height with no visible means of support. 'Horrible' was the word she came up with. Maybe even worse than horrible; but it was the best she could come up with.

"This is bizarre!" she heard Ron yell and giggled. She better not take him on a run with her then. She was a lot faster than this.

How much time had elapsed since they had seen Sirius lying on the Department of Mysteries floor? How much longer would Sirius be able to resist Voldemort? All Emma knew for sure was that their godfather had neither done as Voldemort wanted, nor died, for she was convinced that either outcome would have caused her to have a vision and for her scare sear as painfully as it had on the night Mr Weasley was attacked.

On they flew through the gathering darkness; Emma didn't feel any different because she was the princess of the night- she hadn't told anyone this- but she was sure that the others we're probably freezing to death.

"Do you guys want me to warm it up a bit?" she called to the others of the roaring of the steed's wings.

"P-please" Ron stuttered.

Emma concentrated on a burning fire, the warmth; and created a bubble around them all.

"Thanks Em" Ginny said gratefully.

Emma sighed. If they were too late...

_He's still alive, he's still fighting, I would know..._

If Voldemort decided Sirius was not going to crack...

_I'd know..._

Emma's stomach gave jolt; the Thestral's head was suddenly pointing towards the ground and she actually slid forwards a few inches along its neck. They were descending at last... she heard a shriek behind her and twisted around dangerously, but could see no sign of a falling body... they had all obviously received a shock from the change of direction, just a she had.

And now bright orange lights were growing larger and rounder on all sides; they could see the tops of buildings, streams of headlights like luminous insect eyes, squares of pale yellow that were windows. Quite suddenly, it seemed they were hurtling towards the pavement; Emma gripped the Thestral so she wouldn't fall off. At last, Emma slid from its back, looking around at the street where the overflowing skip still stood a short way from the vandalised telephone box, both drained of colour in the flat orange glare of the streetlights.

Harry landed a short way off and slid immediately from his Thestral on to the pavement.

"Never again" Ron said, struggling to his feet. He made as though to stride away from his Thestral, but, unable to see it, collided with its hindquarters and almost fell over again. "Never, ever again... that was the worst..."

Hermione and Ginny touched down on either side of her: both slid off their mounts a little more gracefully than Ron, though with similar expressions of relief at being back on firm ground; Neville jumped down, shaking; and Luna dismounted smoothly.

"Where do we go from here, then?" she asked Harry and Emma in a politely interested voice, as though this was all a rather interesting daytrip.

"Over here" they said together. Emma gave her Thestral a quick, grateful pat, and then she and Harry led the way quickly to the battered telephone box and opened the door. "Come on!" Harry urged the others, as they hesitated.

Emma dialled six two four four two- she was the closest person- and as it whirred back into place the cool female voice sounded inside the box.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business."

"Emma Potter, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood" Emma said as quickly as she could but slow enough so the machine could understand her. "Our business is our own if you don't mind.

Half a dozen badges slid out of the metal chute where returned coins normally appeared. Hermione scooped them up and handed them mutely to Emma; she glanced at the topmost one, _Emma Potter, Unknown._

"Visitors to the Ministry, you are required to submit a search and present your wands for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium."

"Fine!" Harry said loudly, as his and Emma's scar gave another throb. "Now can we move?"

Emma sighed in relief as the floor of the telephone box shuddered and the pavement rose up past its glass windows; the scavenging Thestrals were sliding out of sight; blackness closed over their heads and with a dull grinding noise they sank down into the depths of the Ministry of Magic.

A chunk of soft golden light hit their feet and, widening, rose up their bodies. Emma bend her knew, held her wand as ready as she could in such a cramped conditions and curled her left hand into a claw as she peered through the glass to see whether anybody was waiting for them in the Atrium, but it seemed to be completely empty. The light was dimmer than it had been by day; - not that it was a problem for her- there were no fires burning under the mantelpieces set into the walls, but as the lift slid smoothly to a halt, she saw that golden symbols continued to twist sinuously in the dark blue ceiling.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant evening" said the woman's voice.

"Whatever, but thanks anyway" Emma said.

The door of the telephone box burst open; Harry toppled out of it, closely followed by Neville and Luna; then Hermione and Ginny; then Ron and Emma.

"Come on" said Emma quietly and the six of them sprinted off down the hall, Harry and Emma in the lead, past the fountain towards the desk where the watchwizard who had weighed Harry's wand had sat, and which was now deserted.

Harry and Emma felt sure there ought to be a security person, sure their absence was an ominous sign, and their feeling of foreboding increased as they passed through the golden gates to the lifts. Harry pressing the nearest 'down' button and a lift clattered into sight almost immediately, the golden grilles slid apart with a great, echoing clanking and they dashed inside. Emma stabbed the number nine button; the grilles closed with a bang and the lift began to descend, jangling and rattling. Harry had not realised how noisy the lifts were on the day he had come with Mr Weasley, but Emma looked unsurprised. How many times had she come to the Ministry?

When the lift halted, the cool female voice said "Department of Mysteries" and the grills slid open. They stepped out into the corridor where nothing was moving but the nearest torches, flickering in the rush of air from the lift.

Harry and Emma turned identically towards the plain black door. After months and months of dreaming and seeing it, they were here at last.

"Let's go" Emma whispered, and she led the way down the corridor with Harry right behind her.

"OK, listen" said Harry as Emma stopped again within six feet of the door. "Maybe...maybe a couple of people should stay here as a- as a lookout, and..."

"Their coming, Harry, whether you like it or not" Emma said, surprising everyone. She, of all people, would have argued about them staying behind.

Harry glared at her.

"Don't you glare at me, Mister" she snapped at him. "I have seen the future and they are a part of it. So don't you dare change the future or, so help me, I will send you down to fucking hell!"

That explained a lot.

Harry still did not want to take them all with him, but it seemed her had no choice. He had learnt that it was a good idea not to argue with Emma. He turned to dace the door and he and Emma walked forwards... just as it had in their dream and visions, it swing open and they marched over the threshold, the others on their heels.

They were standing in a large, circular room. Everything in here was black including the floor and ceiling; identical, unmarked, handleless black doors were set at intervals all around the black walls, intersperse with branches of candles whose flames burned blue; their cool, shimmering light reflected in the shining marble floor made it look as though there was dark water underfoot.

"Urgh" Emma shuddered, lifting up her foot shakily "this room gives me the willies."

"Someone shut the door" Harry muttered.

He regretted giving this order the moment Neville had obeyed it without the long chink of light from the corridor behind them, the place became so dark that for a moment the only things they could see were the bunches of shivering blue flames on the walls and their ghostly reflections.

"Well done Sherlock" Emma muttered and focused her thoughts on happy thoughts. Immediately after she began to glow.

"Thanks Em" Harry said, ruffling her hair playfully. She slapped his hand away and stalked to the door in front of her.

"Give me a sec, I need to figure this out" she said to the others and examined each door.

"How are you going to figure this out? It's a total mission impossible" Ginny asked.

"Will a little common sense and good old fashion vampire powers" Emma said absentmindedly as she stroked a door.

"Sometimes I wonder what's going on in that head of hers" Ron murmured. Harry rolled his eyes.

"I don't want to go in the room with the veil either" Emma muttered.

"What veil?" said Luna curiously.

Emma closed her eyes and shuddered.

"It's best if you didn't know" she said finally after a pretty long pause. "It isn't the nicest thing in the world. I'm surprised the Ministry have still got it."

She shuddered again. The group decided that they didn't want to know. If it was scary enough the scare Emma then it was always best in not knowing. After all, not a lot could scare Emma now.

"This is it!" she exclaimed suddenly and opened the door.

Harry knew it at once by the beautiful, dancing, diamond-sparkling light. As Harry's and Emma's eyes became accustomed to the brilliant glare, they saw clocks gleaming from every surface, large and small, grandfather and carriage, hanging in spaces between the bookcases or standing on desks ranging the length of the room, so that a busy relentless ticking filled the place like thousands of minuscule, marching footsteps. The source of the dancing, diamond-bright light was a towering crystal bell jar that stood at the far end of the room.

"This way" Emma said.

Harry's hear was pumping frantically now that he knew they were on the right track; he and Emma led the way down the narrow space between the lines of desks, heading, as Harry had done in his dream and Emma in her visions, for the source of the light, the crystal bell jar quite as tall as Harry was that stood on a desk and appeared to be full of a billowing, glittering wind.

"Oh, look" said Ginny, as they drew nearer, pointing at the very heart of the jar.

Drifting along in the sparkling current inside was a tiny, jewel-bright egg. As it rose in the jar, it cracked open and a hummingbird emerged, which was carried to the very top of the jar, but as it fell on the draught its feathers became bedraggled and damp again, and by the time it had been borne back to the bottom of the jar it had been enclosed once more in its egg.

"Come on" Emma said sharply.

"This is it" Harry said, and his heart was now pumping so hard and fast he felt it must interfere with his speech "it's through here..."

He glanced around at them all; they had their wands out and looked suddenly serious and anxious. Emma had fire burning in her eyes and her fingers that weren't busy were curled into a claw. He looked back at the door and pushed. It swung open.

They were there, they had found the place: high as a church and full if nothing but towering shelves covered in small, dusty, glass orbs. They glimmered dully in the light issuing from more candle-brackets set at intervals along the shelves. Like those in the circular room behind them, their flames were burning blue. The room was very cold.

Emma edged forward and peered down one of the shadowy aisles between two rows of shelves. She could not hear anything or see the slightest sign of movement other than the dust.

"You said it was row ninety-seven" whispered Hermione.

"Yeah" breathed Harry, looking up at the end of the closest row. Beneath the branch of blue-glowing candles protruding from it glimmered the silver figure fifty-three.

"We need to go right, I think" whispered Hermione, squinting to the next row. "Yes...that's fifty-four..."

"Keep your wands ready" Emma said softly.

They crept forward, glancing behind the as they went in down he long alleys of shelves, the further ends of which were in near-total darkness. Tiny, yellowing labels had been stuck beneath each glass orb on the shelves. Some of them had a weird, liquid glow; others were as dull and dark within as blown light bulbs.

They passed row eighty-four...eighty-five...Emma was listening hard for the slightest sound of movement, but Sirius might be gagged now, or else unconscious..._or _said an unbidden voice inside his head, _he might already be dead..._

I'd have felt it, she told herself, and her dead heart was now so still it seemed so unbelievable, I'd already know...

"Ninety-seven!" whispered Hermione.

Hey stood grouped around the end of the row, gazing down the alley beside it. There was nobody there.

"He's right down at the end" said Harry, whose mouth had become slightly dry. "You can't see properly from here."

Suddenly, Emma burst into tears. Tears began streaming down her face.

"Emma! What is it?" Harry asked. "Sirius?"

"No...No..." she whispered. "It's not that. I've made a terrible mistake. We have to go back, now!"

"No! Not until we find Sirius!" Harry argued.

"No, Harry, why can't you see!" she cried, not bothering to be quiet anymore. "I've made a terrible mistake. I never knew anyone could mess with my visions. We've been set up. Sirius is at home! We have to grab the prophecy and run. Now!"

"What prophecy" Harry said dumbly.

"The prophecy about us! The reason our parents are dead" Emma shouted.

"What?"

"Urgh" Emma threw her hands up in frustration. "Help me."

Harry placed his hands on her waist and lifted her up so Emma could grab one of the prophecies on the shelves.

"Very good, Potter. Aren't you bright? Yes, I can see that now. Now, turn around, nice and slowly, and give that to me."

Black shapes were emerging out of thin air all around them, blocking their way left and right; eyes glinted through slits in hoods, a dozen lit wand tips were pointing directly at their hearts; Ginny gave a gasp of horror.

"To me, Potter" repeated the drawling voice of Lucius Malfoy as he held out his hand, palm up.

Emma's insides plummeted sickeningly. They were trapped, and outnumbered two to one.

But she had to stay strong for the others. She had to stay calm and natural and think a way out of here. Before it's too late.

"To me" said Malfoy yet again.

"Why?" asked Emma as calmly as she could.

Several of the Death Eaters laughed; a harsh female voice from the midst of the shadowy figures to Emma's left said triumphantly, "The Dark Lord always knows!"

"Always" echoed Malfoy softly. "Now, give me the prophecy, Potter."

"I want to know why!"

"_I want to know why!" _mimicked the woman to his left. She and her fellow Death Eaters had closed in so that they were mere feet away from Emma and the others; the light from their wands dazzled Emma's eyes slightly.

"Why" Emma repeated, ignoring the rising panic in her chest, the dread she had been fighting since she first realised the truth. "Why do you want it?"

"_The little baby had a vision and fort fwightened and fort what is saw was twoo" _said the woman in a horrible, mock baby voice. Emma felt Harry and Ron stir beside her.

"Don't do anything" Emma muttered. "Not yet..."

The women who had mimicked and mocked her let out a raucous scream of laughter.

"You hear her? _You hear her? _Giving instructions to the other children as though she thinks of fighting us!"

"Oh, you don't know Miss Potter, Bellatrix" said Malfoy softly. "She will do anything to prove to others and herself she's not a monster; the Dark Lord understands this about her. _Now give me the prophecy, Potter."_

"No, not until you tell me why" said Emma, though panic was causing her chest and she felt as t5hough she could not breathe properly. "Just tell me why. Is it so hard?"

More of the Death Eaters laughed, though the woman laughed loudest of all.

"It's time you learned when not to ask questions, Potter" said Malfoy. "Now give me the prophecy, or we start using wands.

"Go on, then. I'd love to see you try" said Harry, raising her own wand to chest height. As she did so, the six wands of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny and Luna rose on either side of her. The knot in Emma's stomach tightened. They couldn't get out. she had led his friends and brother's to their deaths for no reason at all...

But the Death Easters did not strike.

"Hand over the prophecy and no one need get hurt" said Malfoy coolly.

It was Emma's turn to laugh.

"Yeah, right!" she said. "I give you think prophecy? And you'll just let us skip off back to Hogwarts, will you? After what and who we've seen?"

The words were hardly out of her mouth when Bellatrix shrieked: "_Accio prophecy."_

Emma was just ready for her: she shouted _Protago!" _before her wand could admit the spell, and though the glass sphere slipped to the tips of her fingers she managed to cling on to it.

"Oh, she knows how to play, little bitty baby Potter" she said, her mad eyes staring through the slits in her hood. "Very well, then..."

"I TOLD YOU, NO!" Lucius Malfoy roared at the woman. "If you smash it...!"

Emma's mind was racing. The Death Eaters wanted this dusty spun-glass sphere. Which meant Voldemort wanted to double check on what he was told? So she had to keep it out of their grasps for as long as she could possible could and get the others out of here before it was too late; to make sure none of her friends and family paid a terrible price for her stupidity...

The woman stepped forward, away from her fellows, and pulled off her hood. Azkaban had hollowed Bellatrix's face, making it gaunt and skull-like, but it was alive with a feverish glow.

"You need more persuasion?"she said, her chest rising and falling rapidly. "Very well- take the smallest one" she ordered the Death Eaters beside her. "Let him watch while we torture the little girl. I'll do it."

Emma felt the others close in around Ginny; she stepped sideways so that she was right in front of her, the prophecy held up to her chest.

"You'll have to smash this if you want to attack any of us" she told Bellatrix. "I don't think your boss will be too pleased if you come back without it, will he?"

She did not move; she merely stared at her, the tip of her tongue moistening her thin mouth.

"So" said Emma calmly "what kind of prophecy are we talking about, anyway?"

She could not think what to do but to keep talking. Neville's arm was pressed against hers, and she could feel him shaking; she could feel Harry's quickened breath on the back of her head. She was hoping they were all thinking hard about ways to get out of this, because her mind was blank.

"What kind of prophecy?" repeated Bellatrix, the grin fading from her face. "All of us here apart from your little friends know that you know what you're dealing with."

Emma felt everyone stiffen behind her and she knew that they knew that Bellatrix wasn't lying. She hoped that they could forgive her.

"Yeah, I know. I'm merely asking for their sakes" Emma said calmly. "So, how come Voldemort wants it?"

Several of the Death Eaters let out low hisses.

"You dare speak his name?" whispered Bellatrix.

"Yeah" said Emma, maintaining her tight grip on the glass ball, expecting another attempt to bewitch it from her. "Yeah, I've got no problem with saying Vol..."

"Shut your mouth!" Bellatrix shrieked. "You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with you half-blood's tongue, you dare..."

"Did you know he's a half-blood too?" said Emma recklessly. Hermione gave a little moan in her ear. "Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle- or has he been telling you lot he's pure blood?"

"STUPEF..."

"NO!"

A jet of red light had shot from the end of Bellatrix Lestrange's wand, but Malfoy had deflected it; his spell caused hers to hit the shelf a foot to the left of Emma and several of the glass orbs there shattered.

"DO NOT ATTACK! WE NEED THE PROPHECY!"

"She dares-she dares..." shrieked Bellatrix incoherently "she stands there...filthy half-blood..."

"WAIT UNTIL WE'VE GOT THE PROPHECY!" bawled Malfoy.

Then Emma had an idea. The only problem was going to be conveying it to the others.

"You haven't told me what's so special about this prophecy I'm supposed to be handing over" she said, playing for time. She moved her foot slowly sideways, feeling around for someone else's foot.

"Do not play games with us, potter" said Malfoy.

"I'm not playing games" said Emma, half her mind on the conversation, half on her wandering foot. She tapped on Harry's foot.

"Smash shelves" she whispered "when I say now. Tell others."

"Can this be?" said Malfoy, sounding maliciously. "Dumbledore never told you? Well, this explains why you didn't come earlier, Potter, the Dark Lord wondered why you didn't come running when he showed you the place where it was hidden in your dreams. He thought natural curiosity would make you want to hear the exact wording..."

"I bet he did" said Emma. She heard and felt Harry passing on the word. "Well, unfortunately for him, I'm a vampire and I can see the past, present and future. Do you think I wouldn't have bothered to look into the past to see what made Voldemort target my family and to see the prophecy for myself. I'm not as thick as I look. So he wanted me to come and get it, did he? Why?"

"Why?" Malfoy sounded incredibly delighted. "Because the only people who are permitted to retrieve a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, Potter, are those about whom it was made, as the Dark Lord discovered when he attempted to use others to steal it from him."

"Yeah, well, Voldemort is thick" Emma said coolly. "Did he expect that you lot could get it from _me._ Does he even know who I am?"

Malfoy and the other Death Eaters looked confused.

"What?" he asked dumbly.

Emma mocked sighed and said "I'm a vampire, correct?"

"Yes" said Malfoy slowly and carefully.

"Well" said Emma with the air of someone explaining that one add one equals two "my great, great grandmother was a vampire and she was the Queen of the night. Do the logic."

All the Death Eaters took a frighten step back.

"Cocky, aren't you, Miss Potter?" Malfoy sneered.

"Yeah, well, it's a talent" Emma shrugged as Malfoy raised his wand.

"Prepare to meet you death" he whispered.

"Yeah, well, I have one word to say to you" Emma said calmly.

"And what is that?" Bellatrix laughed.

"NOW!" Emma shouted.

Six different voices behind her bellowed "REDUCTO!" Six curses flew in six different directions and shelves opposite them exploded as they hit; the towering structure swayed as a hundred glass spheres burst apart, pearly-white figures unfurled into the air. Then it started to rain glass balls.

"RUN" Harry yelled, as the shelves swayed precariously and more glass spheres began to fall from above. He seized a handful of Emma's robes and dragged her forwards, holding one arm over his head as chunks of shelf and shards of glass thundered down upon them. A Death Eater lunged forwards through the cloud of dust. Emma lunged at him, fangs bared and sunk her teeth into his arm, before jerking a chunk of flesh of. She carried on running to catch up with the others.

Harry found the way ahead clear and saw Ron, Ginny and Luna sprint past him, their arms over their heads.

"Come on" Emma shouted over the noise and grabbed his arm, pulling him forwards faster.

They were at the end of row ninety-seven; Emma turned right and began to sprint in earnest; she could hear footsteps right behind her and Hermione's voice urging Neville on; straight ahead, the door through which they had come was ajar; Emma could see the glittering light of the bell jar; she pelted through the doorway, the prophecy still clutched tight and safe in her hand, and waited for the others to hurtle over the threshold before slamming the door behind them...

"_Colloportus_!" gasped Hermione and the door sealed itself with an odd squelching noise.

"Where...where are the others?" gasped Harry.

Emma and Harry thought Ron, Luna and Ginny were ahead of them, that they would be waiting in this room, but there was nobody there.

"They must have gone the wrong way!" Emma cried, terror on her face. She kicked the wall in frustration.

"Listen" whispered Neville.

Footsteps and shouts echoed from behind the door they had just sealed; Emma put her ear close to the door to listen and heard roar "Leave Nott, leave him, I say- his injuries will be nothing to the Dark Lord compared to losing that prophecy. Jugson, come back here, we need to organise! We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with the Potters until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary- Bellatrix, Rodolphus, you take the left; Crabbe, Rabastan, go right- Jugson, Dolohov, the door straight ahead- Macnair and Avery, through here- Rookwood, over there- Mulciber, come with me!"

"What do we do?" Hermione asked Harry and Emma, trembling from head to foot.

"Well, we don't stand here waiting for them to find us, for a start" said Emma. "Let's get away from this door."

They ran as quietly as they could, past eh shimmering bell jar where the tiny egg was hatching and unhatching, towards the exit into the circular hallway at the far end of the room. They were almost there when Emma heard something large and heavy collide with the door Hermione ad charmed shut.

"Stand aside!" said a rough voice. "_Alohomora_!"

As the door flew open, Harry, Emma, Hermione and Neville dived under desks. They could see the bottom of the two Death Eaters' robes drawing nearer, their feet moving rapidly.

"They might've run straight through the hall" said the rough voice.

"Check under the desks" said another.

Emma saw the knees of the Death Eaters bend; baring her fangs, she lunged forwards and sunk them into his leg. The Death Eater cried out in agony and kicked her away. Emma flew across the room and hit the wall while the Death Eater fell into the grandfather clock. The other Death Eater fell into the bell jar.

"Look out!" said Neville, horrified. He was staring at the Death Eater's head in the bell jar.

All four of them raised their wands again, but none of them struck: they were all gazing, open-mouthed, appalled, at what was happening to the man's head.

It was shrinking very fast, growing balder and balder, the black hair and stubble retracting into his skill; his cheeks becoming smooth, his skull round and covered with a peachlike fizz...

A baby's head now sat grotesquely on top of the thick, muscled neck of the Death Eater as he struggled to get up again; but even as they watched, their mouths open, the head began to swell to its previous proportions again; thick black hair was sprouting from the pate and chin...

"It's Time" said Hermione in an awestruck voice.

"Time" Emma breathed in the same awestruck voice.

The Death Eater shook his ugly head again, trying to clear it, but before he could pull himself together it began to shrink back to babyhood once again...

There was a shout from a room nearby, then a crash and a scream.

"GINNY?" Emma yelled, turning quickly from the monstrous transformation take place before them. "LUNA? RON?"

"Emma!" Hermione screamed.

The Death Eater had pulled his head out of the bell jar. His appearance was utterly bizarre, his tiny baby's head bawling loudly while his thick arms flailed dangerously in all directions, narrowly missing Emma, who had ducked. Harry raised his wand but to his amazement Emma seized his arm.

"You can't hurt a baby!" she scolded him.

There was no time to argue the point; Harry could hear more footsteps growing louder from the Hall of Prophecy. Emma knew, too late, that she ought not to have shouted and given away their position.

"Come on" she said, and leaving the ugly baby-headed Death Eater staggering behind them they took off for the door that stood open at the other end of the room, leading back into the black hallway.

They had run halfway towards it when Emma saw through the open door two more Death Eaters running across the black room towards them; veering left, she burst instead into a small, dark cluttered office and slammed the door behind them.

"_Collo_..." began Hermione, but before she could complete the spell the door had burst open and the two Death Eaters had come hurtling inside.

With a cry of triumph, both yelled:

"_IMPEDIMENTA!"_

Harry, Emma, Hermione and Neville were all knocked backwards off their feet; Neville was thrown over the desk and disappeared from view; Hermione smashed into a bookcase and was promptly deluged in a cascade of heavy books; Emma went flying up into the ceiling before crashing back down, being careful not to smash the prophecy; the back of Harry's head slammed into the stone wall behind him, tiny lights burst in from of his eyes and for a moment he was too dizzy and bewildered to react.

"WE'VE GOT THEM!" yelled the Death Eater nearest Harry. "IN AN OFFICE OFF..."

"_Silencio_!" cried Hermione and the man's voice was extinguished. He continued to mouth through the hold in his mask, but no sound came out. He was thrust aside by his fellow Death Eater.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" shouted Harry, as the second Death Eater raised his wand. His arms and legs snapped together like magnets and he fell forwards, face down on to the rug at Harry's feet, stiff as a board and unable to move.

Emma moaned and struggled to get up.

"Emma!" Hermione and Harry said together and rushed over. They helped her up but it appeared that she couldn't stand properly and kept falling over.

Neville reappeared from behind the desk coving his nose which was bleeding badly and appeared to be broken.

"We're not far from the exit" Harry whispered while listening hard for any sounds. "We're right next to that circular room...if we can just get you across it and find the right door before any more Death Eaters come, we'll leave you there."

"What are you three going to do" Emma said weakly.

"We've got to find the others" said Harry.

"Well, I'm going to find them with you" said Emma firmly, struggling to get up again.

"But Emma, you can't" Hermione said, trying to push her back down again.

"Look" Emma sighed "I was born to protect Harry and, as I got older, I started to protect everyone else. So, I have no choice, whatever my condition. I have to come with you. And even if I didn't have to, I would still come. Someone's gotta save yah when it's needed."

"Fine" Harry grumbled. He helped her up and Hermione helped her walk while Harry went in front with his wand raised.

Harry stuck his head out of the door and looked around cautiously. The baby-headed Death Eater was screaming and banging into things, toppling grandfather clocks and overturning desks, bawling and confused, while the glass-fronted cabinet that Harry now suspected had contained Time-Turners continued to fall, shatter and repair itself on the wall behind them.

"He's never going to notice us" he whispered. "C'mon...keep close behind me..."

They crept as quietly as they could out of the office and back towards the door into the black hallway, which now seemed completely deserted. They walked a few steps forwards. The door of the Time Room swung shut behind them and the walls began to rotate once more. The recent blow on the back of Harry's head seemed to have unsteadied him; he narrowed his eyes, swaying slightly, until the walls stopped moving again.

"So which way d'you reck..."

But before they could make a decision as to which way to try, a door to their right sprang open and three people fell out of it.

"Ron!" croaked Harry, dashing towards them. "Ginny, Luna- are you all..."

"Harry" said Ron, giggling weakly, lurching forwards, seizing the front of Harry's robes and gazing at him with unfocused eyes "there you are...ha, ha, ha... you look funny, Harry...you're all messed up..."

Ron's face was very white and something dark was trickling from the corner of his mouth. Next moment his knees had given way, but he still clutched the front of Harry's robes, so that Harry was pulled into a kind of bow.

"Ginny?" Harry said fearfully. "What happened?"

But Ginny shook her head and slid down the wall into a sitting position, panting and holding her ankle.

"I think her ankle's broken, I heard something crack" whispered Luna, who was bending over her and who alone seemed to be unhurt.

Emma, who seemed to have gotten stronger over the past few minutes, shrugged out of Hermione's grip and walked over to Ginny.

"Here" Emma said calmly and waved her wand, pointing it at Ginny's ankle. There was a purple light and Ginny stood up gingerly.

"Thanks" Ginny whispered, smiling thankfully at Emma who smiled warmly back and turned to Ron. She tried to figure out what was wrong with him but came up with nothing.

Luna started to explain what had happened to them. "Four of them chased us into a dark room full of planets; it was a very odd place, some of the time we were just floating in the dark..."

"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" said Ron, still giggling feebly. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus...ha, ha, ha..."

A bubble of blood grew at the corner of Ron's mouth and burst.

"...anyway, one of them grabbed Ginny's foot, I used the Reductor Curse and blew up Pluto in his face, but..."

Luna shrugged.

"And what about Ron?" said Harry fearfully, as Ron continued to giggle, still handing off the front of Harry's robes.

"I don't know what they hit him with" said Luna sadly "but he's gone a bit funny, I could hardly get him along at all."

"Harry" said Ron, pulling Harry's ear down to his mouth and still giggling weakly "you know who this girl is, Harry? She's Loony... Loony Lovegood... ha, ha, ha..."

"We've got to get out of here" said harry firmly.

Harry pulled Ron's arm over his shoulder just as, many months ago, he had pulled Dudley's. He looked around: they had a one in twelve chance of getting the exit right first time...

Before Harry and Emma knew it, there were Bellatrix with Neville. The others were off fighting the other Death Eaters.

"It's Longbottom, isn't it?" sneered Lucius Malfoy. "Well, you grandmother is used to losing family members to our cause... your death will not come as a great shock."

"Longbottom?" repeated Bellatrix, and a truly evil smile lit her gaunt face. "Why, I have had the pleasure of meeting you parents, boy."

"I DOE YOU HAB!" roared Neville, and he fought so hard against his captor's encircling grip that the Death Eater shouted "Someone Stun him!"

"No, no, no" said Bellatrix. She looked transported, alive with excitement as she glances at Harry and Emma, then back at Neville. "No, let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents...unless Miss Potter wants to give us the prophecy."

"DON'B GIB ID DO DEM" roared Neville, who seemed beside himself, kicking and writhing as Bellatrix drew nearer to him and his captor, her wand raised. "DON'B GIV ID DO DEM, EMMA!"

Bellatrix raised her wand. "_Crucio_!"

Neville screamed, his legs drawn up to his chest so that the Death Eater holding was momentarily holding him off the ground. The Death Eater dropped him and he fell to the floor, twitching and screaming in agony.

"That was just a taster!" said Bellatrix, raising her want so that Neville's screams stopped and he lay sobbing at her feet. She turned and up at Harry and Emma. "Now, Potter, either give us the prophecy, or watch your little friend die the hard way!"

Emma did not have to think; there was no choice. She had failed. The prophecy was ice cold from her hand- she had no body heat- as she held it out. Malfoy jumped forwards to take it.

Then, high about them, two more doors burst open and five more people sprinted into the room: Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks and Kingsley.

"Bloody good timing" Emma called up to them, and yanked the prophecy out of Malfoy's grasp.

"That's what we're here for" Sirius called back.

Malfoy turned, and raised his wand, but Tonks had already sent a Stunning Spell right at him. Harry and Emma didn't wait to see whether it had made contact, but dived off the dais out if the way. The Death Eaters were completely distracted by the appearance of the members of the Order, who were now raining spells down upon them as they jumped from step to step towards the sunken floor. Both she and Harry scrambled up the steps.

The stone floor between them exploded as a spell hit it, leaving a crater right where Emma's hand had been only seconds before; both of them scrambled away from the spot, then a thick arm came out of nowhere, seized Emma around the neck and pulled her upright, so that her toes were barely touching the floor.

"Give it to me" growled a voice in her ear "give me the prophecy..."

The man was pressing so tightly on Emma's windpipe that she couldn't breathe. She didn't need to breathe, of course, but it was painful. Through her eyelashes she saw Sirius duelling with a Death Eater some ten feet away; Kingsley was fighting two at once; Tonks, still halfway up the tiered seats, was firing spells down at Bellatrix- nobody seemed to realise that this Death Eater was about the get the Prophecy.

Suddenly, Harry came out of nowhere and kicked the Death Eater making him let go. The Death Eater stumbled backwards and Emma swung her fist at him causing the Death Eater fall backwards of the stone steps. Just as he fell, his mask slipped off: it was Macnair, Buckbeak's would-be killer, his jaw now swelling dangerously.

"Thanks" Emma said to harry, pulling him aside as Sirius and his Death Eater lurched past, duelling so fiercely that their wands were blurs.

"That's what brothers are for" Harry just had time to say before they both hurtled up the stairs again.

Suddenly, Dolohov lunged at them.

"_Duro!" _Emma screamed and the Death Eater immediately turned to stone.

"Good one" Sirius called over his shoulder. "You are so like your mother!"

Emma blushed with pleasure. Both she and Harry ducked as a few more stunning spells came flying their way.

"Now I want you two to get out of here!" Sirius yelled, dashing to meet Bellatrix. Harry and Emma did not see what happened next; Kingsley swayed across their visions, battling with the pockmarked and no longer masked Rookwood; another jet of green light flew over Harry's head as he launched himself over to Emma.

"Come on!" he bellowed and pulled her forwards. And then, out of nowhere, a man lunged at them. They both fell backwards and Emma tucked the prophecy into her chest to save it from getting smashed.

"The prophecy, give me the prophecy, Potter!" snarled Lucius Malfoy's voice in her ear, and Emma felt the tip of Malfoy's wand pressing hard between her ribs.

"No! Get off me... Harry- catch it!"

Emma flung the prophecy across the floor and Harry rolled over onto it, shielding it from Malfoy's wand. Malfoy pointed the wand instead at harry, but Emma kicked him in the stomach causing him to fall backwards.

As Harry and Emma scrambled up again they looked around and saw Malfoy smash into the dais on which Sirius and Bellatrix were now duelling. Malfoy aimed his wand at Harry and Emma again, but before he could draw breath to strike, Lupin had jumped between them.

"Emma round u the others and GO!"

Emma seized Harry by the hand and literally dragged him up the steps. A spell hit the stone bench at Harry's heel; it crumbled away and he fell back to the step below, dragging Emma with him.

"Come on!" said Harry desperately, pulling Emma back up to her feet again.

Out of the blue, a spell came hurling at them. But, instead f hitting either Harry or Emma, it hit the glass ball in Emma's hand causing her to yelp in surprise and pain as the glass sliced her skin.

As both of them stared at the place on the floor where the glass had fallen, appalled at what had happened, a pearly-white figure with hugely magnified eyes rose into the air, unnoticed by any but them. They could see its mouth moving, but in all the crashes and screams and yells surrounding them, not one word of the prophecy could they hear. The figure stopped speaking and dissolved into nothingness.

"Let's get out of here!" Harry shouted.

"_Dumbledore!" _Emma gasped, her face suddenly transported, staring over Harry's shoulder.

"What?" Harry asked, bewildered. He was sure that he had not heard correctly.

"DUMBLEDORE!"

Harry turned to look where Emma was staring. Directly above them, framed in the doorway from the Brain Room, stood Albus Dumbledore, his wand aloft, his face white and furious. Harry and Emma felt a kind of electric charge surge through every particle of their bodies- _they were saves._

Dumbledore sped down the steps past Harry and Emma, who had no more thoughts of leaving. Dumbledore was already at the foot of the steps when the Death Eaters nearest realised he was there and yelled to the others. One of the death Eaters ran for it, scrabbling like a monkey up the stone steps opposite. Dumbledore's spell pulled him back as easily and effortlessly as though he had hooked him with an invisible line...

Only one pair was still battling, apparently unaware of the new arrival. Harry and Emma saw Sirius duck Bellatrix's jet of red light: he was laughing at her.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" he yelled, his voice echoing around the cavernous room.

The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.

The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock.

Harry and Emma let go if each other's hands, though they were unaware of doing so. They were jumping down the steps again, pulling out their wands, as Dumbledore, too, turned towards the dais.

It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch.

Harry and Emma saw the look of mingled fear and surprised on their godfather's wasted, once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappeared behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place.

They heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing- Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second...

But Sirius did not reappear.

"SIRIUS!" Emma screamed, tears now streaming down her cheeks, her eyes were wide with shear fear. "SIRIUS!"

They had reached the floor and sprinted towards the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest and Emma by the wrist.

"There's nothing you can do..."

Get him, save him; he's only just gone through!" Harry cried desperately.

"...it's too late, Harry; Emma."

"We can still reach him..." Emma and Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin would not let go of either of them.

"There's nothing you can do...nothing...he's gone."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

The Only One,

Voldemort Ever Feared

"He hasn't gone!" Emma yelled.

They did not believe it; they would not believe it; still they fought Lupin with every bit of strength they had. Lupin did not understand; people hid behind that curtain; they had heard them whispering. Sirius was hiding, simply lurking out of sight...

"SIRIUS!" he bellowed. "SIRIUS!"

"He can' come back" said Lupin, his voice breaking as he struggled not to let go of Emma and Harry. "He can't come back, because he's d..."

"HE-IS-NOT-DEAD!" Emma screamed. "SIRIUS!"

But even as she screamed, she knew, deep down, that he couldn't come back.

There was movement going on around them, pointless bustling, the flashes of more spells. To Harry and Emma it was meaningless noise, the deflected curses flying past them did not matter, nothing mattered except that Lupin should stop pretending that Sirius- who was standing feet from them behind that old curtain- was not going to emerge at any moment, shaking back his dark hair and eager to re-enter the battle.

Emma crumpled to the floor and Lupin let her go. She clutched at her sides as if she was trying to hold a tornado in there and sobbed uncontrollable, screaming Sirius's name.

Lupin dragged Harry and Emma away from the dais. Harry, still staring at the archway, was angry at Sirius now for keeping him waiting-

But some part of Harry realised, even as he fought to break free from Lupin, that Sirius had never kept him waiting before...Sirius had risked everything, always to see Harry, to help him...if Sirius was not reappearing out of that archway when Harry and Emma were yelling for him as though their lives depended on it, the only possible explanation was that he could not come back... that he really was...

Dumbledore had most of the remaining Death Eaters grouped in the middle of the room, seemingly immobilised by invisible ropes, Mad-eye Moody had crawled across the room to where Tonks lay, and was attempting to revive her; behind the dais there were still flashes of light, grunts and cries- Kingsley had run forwards to continue Sirius's duel with Bellatrix.

"Harry? Emma?"

Neville had slid down the stone benches one by one to the place where Harry stood and Emma lay. Harry was no longer struggling against Lupin, who maintained a precautionary grip on his arm nevertheless.

"I'm really sorry..." said Neville. His legs were dancing uncontrollably, obviously hit by some kind of curse. "Was that man- was Sirius Black- a- a friend of yours."

Harry nodded; for both he and Emma.

"Here" said Lupin quietly, and pointing his wand at Neville's legs he said _"Fintite."_ The spell was lifted: Neville legs fell back to the floor and remained still. Lupin's face was pale. "Let's- let's find the others. Where are they all, Neville?"

Lupin turned away from the archway as he spoke. It sounded as though every word was causing him pain. 'of course it is' Emma thought. 'Sirius was his best friend!'

"They're all back there" said Neville. "A brain attacked Ron but I think he's all right..."

There was a loud bang and a yell from behind the dais. Harry Kingsley kit the ground yelling in pain: Bellatrix Lestrange turned tail and ran as Dumbledore whipped around. He aimed a spell at her but she deflected it; she was halfway up the steps now...

"Harry-no!" cried Lupin, but Harry had already ripped his arm from Lupin's slackened grip.

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" bellowed Harry. "SHE KILLED HIM- I'LL KILL HER!"

"HARRY" Emma screamed. She could picture him, dead... lifeless...

She got and ran forwards dodging everyone who tried to stop her. "I WILL NOT LET HIM DIE!" she shrieked, spurring on. But even though with vampire speed, she could not catch up with him fast enough.

"Harry" she gasped and pulled him behind a statue just in time as a curse flew past them, smashing another statue.

"_Come out, come out, little Harry and baby sister Emma" _Bellatrix called in her mock baby vice, which echoed off the polished wooden floors. "What did you come after me for, then? I thought you were here to avenge my dear cousin!"

"I am!" shouted Harry, and a score of ghostly Harrys seemed to chorus _I am! I am! I am! _all around the room.

"Aaaaaah... did you love him, little baby Potter?"

"We loved him more than you'll ever know; and more than you could ever say yourself seen as you are so full of hatred" Emma shrieked.

Bellatrix waved her hand and Emma collapsed to the floor, withering and screaming in pain.

Hatred rose in Harry such as he had never known before; he flung himself out from behind the fountain, ignoring the "No Harry" Emma had managed to gasp out, and bellowed _"Crucio!"_

Bellatrix screamed: the spell had knocked her off her feet, but she did not writhe and shriek with pain as Emma had- she was already back on her feet, breathless, no longer laughing. Harry dodged behind the golden fountain again, dragging Emma with him. Her counter-spell hit the head of the handsome wizard. This was blown off and landed twenty feet away, gouging long scratches into the wooden floor.

"Never used an Unforgiveable Curse before, have you, boy?" she yelled. She had abandoned her baby voice now. "You need to mean them, Potter? You need to really want to cause pain- to enjoy it- righteous anger won't hurt me for long- I'll show you how it is done, shall I? I'll give you a lesson...and maybe your sister too I think..."

Harry and Emma were edging around the fountain on the other side when she scream "_Crucio!_" and they were forced to duck down again as the centaur's arm, holding its bow, span off and landed with a crash on the floor a short distance from the golden wizard's head.

Emma shot a spell in Bellatrix's direction which she neatly dodged.

"Silly girl, you cannot win against me!" she cried.

They could hear her moving to the right, trying to get a clear shot of them. They backed around the statue away from her, crouching behind the centaur's legs, their heads level with the house-elf.

"I was and am the Dark Lord's most loyal servant. I learned the Dark Arts from him, and I know spells of such power that you, pathetic little girl, can ever hope to compete..."

"_Stupefy_" yelled Harry out of sheer anger. How dare she talk about Emma in that way! His sister! He had edged right around to where the goblin stood beaming up at the now headless wizard and taken aim at her bad as she peered around the fountain. She reacted so fast he barely had time to duck.

"_Protago!"_

The jet of red light, his own Stunning Spell, bounced back at him. Harry scrambled back behind the fountain and one f the goblin's ears went flying across the room.

"Okay, girl, I'm going to give you one chance!" shouted Bellatrix. "Give me the prophecy- roll it out towards me now- and I may just spare both of your worthless lies."

"Well, you're going to have to kill us, because it's gone!" Harry roared and, as he shouted it, pain seared in their scars; they were on fire again, and they felt a surge of fury that was quite unconnected with their own rage. "And he knows!" said Harry, with a mad laugh to match Bellatrix's own. It was this laugh that made Emma worry for him. "Your dear old mate Voldemort knows it's gone! He's not going to be happy with you, is he?"

"What? What do you mean?" she cried, and for the first time there was fear in her voice.

"The prophecy smashed when we were trying to get up the stairs by a spell that was aimed at us. What do you think Voldemort'll say about that, then?"

Their scars seared and burned...the pain of it was making their eyes stream...

"LIAR!" she shrieked, but they could hear the terror behind the anger now. "YOU'VE GOT IT, POTTER, AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME! _Accio prophecy! ACCIO PROPHECY!"_

Harry laughed again and this worried Emma even more. Voldemort was coming and it seemed that the connection between them was building up, making Harry seem mad. The pain in their scars burned so badly that they though they migh burst. Emma waved her empty hand from behind the one-eared goblin and withdrew it quickly as she sent another jet of green light flying at her.

"See, nothing there" Harry shouted. "Nothing to summon! It smashed and nobody heard what it said, tell your boss that!"

"No!" she screamed. "It isn't true, you're lying! MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED- DO NOT PUNISH ME..."

"Don't waster your breath!" yelled Harry, his eyes screwed up against the pain in his scar, now more terrible than ever. "He can't hear you from here!"

"No, Harry" Emma whimpered in pain, wishing that he would just open his eyes for just one second and see what she could see; what she was staring at right now. It scared her more than anything she had ever seen and would haunt her for the rest of her entire life.

"Can't I, Potter?" said a high, cold voice.

Harry opened his eyes.

Tall, thin and black-hooded, his terrible snakelike face white and gaunt, his scarlet, slit-pupilled eyes staring... Lord Voldemort had appeared in the middle of the hall, his wand pointing at Harry and Emma who were both stood frozen, quite unable to move.

"So, Miss Potter, you let my prophecy smash?" said Voldemort softly, staring at Emma only now with those pitiless red eyes. "No, Bella, they are no lying... I see the truth looking at me from within their worthless minds... months of preparation, months of effort... and my Death Eaters have let Harry and Emma Potter thwarts me again..."

"Master, I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!" sobbed Bellatrix, flinging herself down at Voldemort's feet as he paced slowly nearer. "Master, you should know..."

"Be quiet, Bella" said Voldemort dangerously. "I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your snivelling apologies?"

"Bu Master- they are here- they are below..."

Voldemort paid no attention.

"I have nothing more to say to you two Potters" he said quietly. "You two have irked me too often, for too long. _AVADA KEDAVRA!"_

Harry had not even opened his mouth to resist; his mind was blank, his wand pointing uselessly at the floor.

Luckily for him, Emma had not frozen for as long as he had. She yanked him behind the headless golden statue, which had sprung to life, leaping from its plinth to land with a crash on the floor between Harry and Emma and Voldemort. The spell merely glanced off its chest as the statue flung out its arms to protect Harry and Emma.

"What...?" cried Voldemort, staring around. And he breathed "Dumbledore!"

Harry and Emma looked behind them, Harry's hear pounding. Dumbledore was standing in front of the golden gates.

"The only one he ever feared" Emma said quietly.

"Shut it, girl" Bellatrix snarled, glowering at Emma with such hatred burning in her eyes. But she did not strike. She was obviously scared of Dumbledore too.

Voldemort raised his wand and another jet of green light streaked at Dumbledore, who turned and was gone in a whirling of his cloak. Next second, he had reappeared behind Voldemort and waved his wand towards the remnants of the fountain. The other statues sprang to life. The statue of the witch ran at Bellatrix, who screamed and sent spells streaming uselessly off its chest, before it dived at her, pinning her to the floor. Meanwhile, the goblin and the house-elf scuttled towards the fireplaces set along the wall and the one-armed centaur galloped at Voldemort, who vanished and reappeared beside the pool. The headless statue thrust Harry and Emma backwards, away from the fight, as Dumbledore advanced on Voldemort and the golden centaur cantered around them both.

"It was foolish to come here tonight, Tom" said Dumbledore calmly. "The Aurors are on their way..."

"By which time I shall be gone, and you will be dead!" spat Voldemort. He sent another killing curse at Dumbledore but missed, instead hitting the security guard's desk, which burst into flame.

Dumbledore flicked his own wand: the force of the spell that emanated from it was such that Harry and Emma, though shielded by their golden guard, they felt the hair stand on end as it passed and this time Voldemort was forced to conjure a shining silver shield out of thin air to deflect it. The spell, whatever it was, caused no visible damage to the shield, though a deep, going-like note reverberated from it- an oddly chilling sound. Emma covered her oversensitive ears as the sound vibrated towards them.

"You do not seek to kill me, Dumbledore?" called Voldemort, his scarlet eye narrowed over the top of the shield. "Above such brutality, are you?"

"Dumbledore doesn't kill" Emma shouted, hot, while anger burned through her veins. "This is what makes him so much better than you."

This angered Voldemort a lot, but both he and Dumbledore ignored what Emma had said.

"We both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom" Dumbledore said calmly, continuing to walk towards Voldemort as though he had not a fear in the world, as though nothing had happened to interrupt his stroll up the hall. "Merely taking your life would not satisfy me, I admit..."

"There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!" snarled Voldemort.

"You are quite wrong" said Dumbledore, still cling in upon Voldemort and speaking as lightly as though they were discussing the matter over drinks. Harry and Emma both felt scared to see him walking along, undefended, shield less; they wanted to cry out a warning, but their headless guard kept shunting them backwards towards the wall, blocking their every attempt to get out from behind it. "Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness..."

Another yet of green light flew from behind the silver shield. This time it was the one-armed centaur, galloping in front of Dumbledore, that took the blast and shattered into a hundred pieces, but before the fragments had even hit the floor, Dumbledore had drawn back his wand and waved it as though brandishing a whip. A long thin flame flew from the tip; it wrapped itself around Voldemort, shield and all. For a moment, it seemed Dumbledore had won, but then the fiery rope became a serpent, which relinquished its hold on Voldemort at once and turned, hissing furiously, to face Dumbledore.

Voldemort vanished; the snake reared from the floor, ready to strike-

There was a burst of flame in midair above Dumbledore just as Voldemort reappeared, standing on the plinth in the middle of the pool where so recently the five statues had stood.

"Look out!" Harry and Emma yelled together.

But even as they shouted, another jet of green light flew at Dumbledore from Voldemort's wand and the snake struck-

Fawkes swooped down in front of Dumbledore, opened his beak wide and swallowed the jet of green light whole: he burst into flame and fell to the floor, small, wrinkled and flightless. At the same moment, Dumbledore brandished his wand in one long, fluid movement- the snake, which had been an instead from sinking its fangs into him, flew high into the air and vanished in a wisp of dark smoke; and the water in the pool rose up and covered Voldemort like a cocoon of molten glass.

For a few seconds Voldemort was visible only as a dark, rippling, faceless figure, shimmering and indistinct upon the plinth, clearly struggling to throw off the suffocating mass-

Then he was gone and the water fell with a crash back into its pool, slopping widely over the sides, drenching the polished floor.

"MASTER!" screamed Bellatrix.

Sure it was over, sure Voldemort had decided to flee, Harry and Emma made to run out from behind their statue guard, but Dumbledore bellowed: "Stay where you are, you two."

For the first time, Dumbledore sounded frightened. Harry could not see why but it obvious that Emma did for she grabbed his arm to stop him from running.

Harry didn't know why bit then his scar burst open and he knew he was dead: it was pain beyond imagining, pain past endurance-

He was gone from the hall, he was locked in the coils of a creature with red eyes, so tightly bound that Harry did not know where his body ended and the creature's began: they were fused together, bound by pain, and there was escape-

And when the creature spoke, it used Harry's mouth, so that in his agony he felt his jaw move...

"_Kill me now, Dumbledore..."_

Blinded and dying, every part of him screaming for release, Harry felt the creature use him again...

"_If death is nothing, Dumbledore..."_

Let the pain stop, though Harry... Let him kill us... end it, Dumbledore... death is nothing compared to this...

And I'll see Sirius again...

But then, Harry thought, I would lose the closest connection to his parents. He would lose his sister who he had only just found, and he couldn't lose her again.

And as Harry's heart filled with emotion, the creature's coils loosened, the pain was gone; Harry was lying face down on the floor, his glasses gone, shivering as though he lay upon ice, not wood...

And there were voices echoing though the hall, more voices than there should have been... harry opened his eyes, saw his glasses lying by the heel of the headless statue that had been guarding him and Emma, but which now lay flat on its back, cracked and immobile. He put them on and raised his head a little to find Dumbledore's crooked nose inches from his own and Emma on her knees sobbing, her eyes full of fear.

"Are you alright, Harry?" Dumbledore asked

"Yes" said Harry, shaking so violently he could not hold his head up properly. Emma burst into a fresh wave of tears. "Yeah, I'm- where's Voldemort, where- who are all these-what's..."

The Atrium was full of people; the floor was reflecting the emerald green flames that had burst into life in all the fireplaces along one wall; and streams of witches and wizards were emerging from them. As Emma pulled him back to his feet, harry saw the tiny gold statues of the house-elf and goblin, leading a stunned-looking Cornelius Fudge forward.

Emma laughed suddenly and said "The word is out, Harry. This is when it all changes. Everybody knows that we're not nutters and that Voldemort is really back!"

Harry gaped at her.

"He was there!" shouted a scarlet-robed man with a ponytail, who was pointing at a pile of golden rubble on the other side of the hall, where Bellatrix had lain trapped only moments before. "I saw him, Mr Fudge, I swear it was You-Know-Who, he grabbed a woman and Disapparated!"

"I know, Williamson, I know, I saw him too!" gibbered Fudge, who was wearing pyjamas under his pinstriped cloak and was gasping as though he had just run miles. "Merlin's beard- here- here!- in the Ministry of Magic!- great heavens above- it doesn't seem possible- my word- how can this be?"

"If you proceed downstairs into the Department of Mysteries, Cornelius" said Dumbledore- apparently satisfied that Harry was all right, and walking forwards so that the newcomers realised he was there for the first time (a few of them raised their wands; others simply looked amazed; the statues of the elf and goblin applauded and Fudge jumped so much that his slipper-clad feet left the floor)- "you will find several escaped Death Eaters contained in the Death Chamber, bound by an Anti-Disapparation Jinx and awaiting your decision as to what to do with them."

"Dumbledore" gasped Fudge, beside himself with amazement. "You- here- I- I..."

He looked wildly around at the Aurors he had brought with him and it could not have been clearer that he was in a half a mind to cry "Seize him!"

"Cornelius, I am ready to fight your men- and win, again!" said Dumbledore in a thunderous voice. "But a few minutes ago you saw proof, with your own eyes, that I have been telling you the truth for a year. Lord Voldemort has returned, you have been chasing the wrong man for twelve months, and it is time you listened to sense!"

"I- don't- well..." blustered Fudge, looking around as though hoping somebody was going to tell him what to do. When nobody did, he said "Very well- Dawlish! Williamson! Go down to Department of Mysteries and see... Dumbledore, you- you will need to tell me exactly- the Fountain of Magical Brethren- what happened?" he added in a kind of whimper, staring around at the floor, where the remains of the statues of the witch, wizard and centaur now lay scattered.

"We can discuss that after I have sent Harry and Emma back to Hogwarts" said Dumbledore.

"Harry and Emma- _Harry Potter and Emma Potter_?"

Fudge wheeled around and stared at Harry and Emma, who were still standing against the wall beside the fallen statue that had guarded them during Dumbledore and Voldemort's duel.

"Them- here?" said Fudge, goggling at them. "Why- what's all this about?"

"I shall explain everything" repeated Dumbledore "when Harry and Emma are back at school."

He walked away from the pool to the place where the golden wizard's head lay on the floor. He pointed his wand at it and muttered "_Portus." _The head glowed blue and trembled noisily against the wooden floor for a few seconds, then became still once more.

"Oh no" Emma whispered and Harry recalled the night when she had to take a Portkey. She couldn't stand on her own for three whole hours and couldn't have visions for five. This ended her being really grumpy and annoyed.

"Now see here, Dumbledore" said Fudge, as Dumbledore picked up the head and walked back to Harry and Emma carrying it. "You haven't got authorisation for that Portkey! You can't do things like that right in front of the Minister for Magic, you- you..."

His voice faltered as Dumbledore surveyed him magisterially over his half-moon spectacles. Dumbledore turned around to face Emma who nodded, obviously answering an unspoken question. Harry absentmindedly wondered whether or not Emma could actually read minds now.

"You will give the order to remove Dolores Umbridge from Hogwarts" said Dumbledore. "You will tell your Aurors to stop searching for my Care of Magical Creatures teacher so that h can return to work. I will give you..." Dumbledore pulled a watch with twelve hands from his pocket and surveyed it "...half an hour of my time tonight, in which I think we shall be more than able to cover the important points of what has happened here. After that, I shall need to return to my school. If you need more help from me you are, of course, more than welcome to contact me at Hogwarts. Letters addressed to the Headmaster will find me."

Fudge goggled worse than ever; his mouth was open and his round face grew pinker under his rumpled grey hair.

"I- you..."

Dumbledore turned his back on him.

"Take this Portkey, you two,"

He held out the golden head of the statue and Harry places his hand on it, past caring what he did next or where he went. Emma turned towards Fudge, slapped him so hard that it left a very red mark and causing him to yelp in pain, and then placed her hand on the Portkey as well.

"I shall see you in half an hour" said Dumbledore quietly; giving Emma a stare to tell her he was not amused. Emma merely rolled her eyes and ignored the look. "One... two... three..."

Harry and Emma felt the familiar sensation of a hook being jerked behind their navel. The polished wooden floor was gone from beneath their feet; the Atrium, Fudge and Dumbledore had all disappeared and they were flying forwards in a whirlwind of colour and sound...


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

The Lost Prophecy

Harry and Emma's feet hit solid ground; Harry's knees buckled a little and the golden wizard's head fell with a resounding clunk to the floor. They looked around and saw that they had arrived in Dumbledore's office.

Everything seemed to have repaired itself during the Headmaster's absence. The delicate silver instruments stood once more on the spindle-legged tables, puffing and whirring serenely. The portraits of the headmasters and headmistresses were snoozing in their frames, heads lolling back in armchairs or against the edge of the picture. Emma looked through the window. There was a cool line of pale green along the horizon: dawn was approaching.

The silence and the stillness, broken only by the occasional grunt or snuffle of a sleeping portrait, were unbearable to her. If her surroundings could have reflected the feelings inside her, the pictures would have been screaming in pain. She walked towards a door that was facing her.

"Where are you going?" Harry asked quietly and Emma knew that he was feeling as much pain as she was right now.

"I'm going to my room" she replied just as quietly. "I need to think."

Harry seemed to understand and said "You don't mind if I join you?"

"Sure" Emma smiled sadly and Harry followed her through the wooden door. Harry had never been in Emma's room before and was immediately amazed by what he saw.

The top half of the walls was red, orange and yellow and was painted like a sunset. The bottom of it was a light blue and there were dolphins jumping out of the waves. Both the dolphins and waves were moving. Her ceiling was alive with starts winking at him and was moving like they would do in real life. Also on her walls were lots and lots of pictures. Most people were form Hogwarts, who were Harry's friends and he realised with a jolt that their mum, dad, Lupin and Sirius were there, too, smiling and waving at them.

"You have pictures of everyone" Harry gasped in amazement. "Where did you get all these?"

"I have my ways" Emma shrugged."Those people are from our family..." she pointed at the wall in front of Harry "...and those are all our friends..." she pointed at the wall behind him.

The other walls had paintings and sketches on. The sketches were mainly of their family and friends and the paintings were doodles, something Emma had obviously done in her spare time.

"Who decorated?" asked Harry, still gazing around him.

"I did" Emma replied matter of factly, moving over to sit on her king-size-bed that was tucked up in the corner next to a bed-side-table.

"Seriously?" Harry gaped at her and Emma smiled sadly again.

"Always the tone of surprise" she quoted Hermione. She got up and added "Dumbledore's back."

Both she and Harry walked back into Dumbledore's office to see Dumbledore standing next to the fireplace. The wizards and witches on the surrounding walls were now awake and many of them were giving cried of welcome.

"Thanks you" said Dumbledore softly.

He did not look at harry and Emma at first, but walked over to the perch beside the door and withdrew, from an inside pocket of his robes the tiny, featherless Fawkes, whom he places gently on the tray of soft ashes beneath the golden post where the fully-grown Fawkes usually stood.

"Well" said Dumbledore, finally turning away form the baby bird "you will be pleased to hear that none of your fellow students are going to suffer lasting damage from the night's events."

Emma let out a sigh of relief. Harry tried to say "Good" but no sound came out. It seemed to him that Dumbledore was reminding him of the amount of damage they had caused, and although Dumbledore was for once looking at them directly, and although his expression was kindly rather than accusatory, Harry could not bear to meet his eyes.

"Madam Pomfrey is patching everybody up" said Dumbledore. "Nymphadora Tonks may need to spend a little time in St Mungo's but it seems she will make a full recovery."

Harry nodded at the carpet, which was growing light as the sky outside grew paler. He was sure all the portraits around the room were listening closely to every word Dumbledore spoke, wondering where Dumbledore, Harry and Emma had been, and why there had been injuries. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Emma sitting down on a seat, looking very grave. He wondered why she was looking like that. There can't be bad news, can there?

"I know how you two are feeling" said Dumbledore very quietly.

"No, you don't" said Harry, and his voice was suddenly loud and strong; white-hot anger leapt inside him; Dumbledore knew nothing about his feelings. Emma looked slightly shocked at his actions and Harry had to admit that he was just as surprised and amazed as she was.

"You see, Dumbledore?" said Phineas Nigellus slyly. "Never try to understand the students. They hate it. They would much rather be tragically misunderstood, wallow in self-pity, and stew in their own..."

"That's enough, Phineas" Emma murmured.

"There is no shame in what you are feeling, Harry" said Dumbledore's voice as Harry turned his back on him. "On the contrary... the fact that you feel pain is like this is your greatest strength."

"My greatest strength is it?" said Harry, his voice shaking as he stared out at the Quidditch stadium in front of him, no longer seeing it. "You haven't got a clue... you don't know..."

"What don't I know?" asked Dumbledore calmly.

It was too much. Harry turned back round, shaking with anger.

"O don't want to talk about how I feel, all right?"

"Harry, suffering like this probes you are still a man! This pain is a part of being human..."

"THEN- I- DON'T- WANT- TO- BE- HUMAN!" Harry roared, and he seized the delicate silver instrument from the spindle-legged table beside him and flung it across the room; it shattered into a hundred tiny pieces against the wall. Several of the pictures let out yells of anger and fright, and the portrait of Armando Dipper said "Really!"

But Emma shushed them and said 2If you knew what he had been through- what _we_ have been through- then you would understand. But you don't know, so stop it."

Harry guessed he should have been grateful, but he was so full of anger and hate that he had no room for gratitude.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUP UP! YOU UNDERSTAND NO MORE THAN HE DOES!" he shouted at her. She drew back as if she had been slapped and tears sprang into her eyes, but she blinked them back.

"You think I don't know how this feels" she whispered. "But your wrong. You can't remember the night mum and dad died. I can. And I can't forget it either. I never can and never will' because I'm a vampire. Do you know how that feels like?"

"I DON'T CARE!" Harry yelled, snatching up a lunascope and throwing it into the fireplace. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I'VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T CARE ANY MORE..."

He seized a table on which the silver instrument had stood and three that, too.

"You do care" said Emma, now deadly calm. Harry had learnt that this was never a good thing. But Dumbledore had not flinched or made a single move to stop Harry demolishing his office. His expression was calm. Emma continued. "You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it. I feel it too and have before."

"I- DON'T" Harry screamed so loudly that he his throat might tear, and for a second he wanted to rush at Dumbledore and Emma and break them too; shatter those calm faces, both young and old, shake them, hurt them, make them feel some tiny part of the horror inside him.

"Oh, yes you do" said Dumbledore, still more calmly. "You have now lost your mother, your father, and the closest thing to a parent you have ever known. Of course you care."

"YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL" Harry roared. "YOU- STANDING THERE- BOTH OF YOU..."

But words were no longer enough, smashing things was no more help; he wanted to run, he wanted to keep running and never look back; he wanted somewhere he could not see the clear blue and soft caramel eyes staring at him, those hatefully calm faces. He turned on his heel and ran to the door, seized the doorknob again and wrenched at it.

But the door would not open.

Harry turned back round to see Emma standing there with her arm out stretched, fingers spread out, and pointing at the door, muttering an incantation.

"Let me out" he said. He was shaking from head to foot.

"No" said Emma simply, lowering her arm.

For a few seconds they stared at each other.

"Let me out" Harry said again.

"No" Emma repeated.

"If you don't- if you keep me here- if you don't let me..."

"By all means continue destroying my possessions" said Dumbledore serenely. "I daresay I have too many."

He walked around his desk and sat down behind it, watching Harry. Emma sat on her knees and bowed her head, as if she was praying. A single tear slipped down her cheek that no one but her could see.

"Let me go" said Harry yet again, in a voice that was cold and almost as calm as Dumbledore's.

"No, she won't. Not until I have had my say" said Dumbledore. Emma tensed, as if waiting for an explosion.

"Do you- do you think I want to- do you think I give a- I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO SAY!" Harry roared. "I don't want hear anything you've got to say!"

"You will" said Dumbledore steadily, and Emma looked up looking confused. "Because you are not nearly as angry with me as you ought to be. If you are to attack me, as I know you are close to doing, I would like to have thoroughly earned it."

"What are you talking-?" Emma began but was cut off by Dumbledore.

"It is my fault Sirius died" sad Dumbledore clearly. Emma opened her mouth to protest but Dumbledore left no room in while she could argue. "Or should I say, almost entirely my fault- I will not be as arrogant as to claim responsibility for the whole. Sirius was brave, clever and energetic man, and such men are not usually content to sit at home in hiding while they believe others to be in danger. Nevertheless, you two should never have believed for an instant that there was any necessity for you to go to the Department of Mysteries tonight. If I had been open with _you, _Harry, as I should have been, you would have know a long time ago that Voldemort might try and lure you to the Department of Mysteries, and you, Emma, of course, should have known that there were was of tricking your visions, and you two would never have been tricked into going there tonight. And Sirius would not have had to come after you. That blame lied with me, and with me alone."

Harry was still standing with his hand on the doorknob but was unaware of it. Both he and Emma were gazing at Dumbledore, hardly breathing, listening yet barely understanding what they were hearing.

"Please sit down" said Dumbledore. It was not an order, it was a request.

Harry hesitated, then followed Emma slowly across the room now littered with silver cogs and fragments of wood, and took one of the seats facing Dumbledore's desk. Emma took the seat next to him, still looking slightly confused. She was probably confused about how her visions had been tricked.

"Am I to understand" said Phineas Nigellus slowly from Harry's left "that my great- great- grandson- the last of the Black's- is dead?"

"Yes, Phineas" said Emma. "I'm so sorry."

"I don't believe it" said Phineas brusquely.

Phineas marched out of his portrait and they both knew that he had gone to visit his other painting in Grimmauld Place. He would walk, perhaps, from portrait to portrait, calling for Sirius through the house...

"Harry, I owe you an explanation" said Dumbledore.

"So do I" said Emma, finally looking into Harry's eyes. "I haven't been exactly truthful myself."

"What explanation?" Harry asked quietly.

"An explanation of an old man's mistakes" Dumbledore explained. "For I see now that what I have done, and not done, with regard to you, bears all the hallmarks of the failing of age. Youth cannot know how age thinks and feels. But old men are guilty if they forget what it was to be young... and I seem to have forgotten, lately..."

The sun was rising properly now; there was a rim of dazzling orange visible over the mountains and the sky above it was colourless and bright. The light fell upon Dumbledore, upon the silver of his eyebrows and beard, upon the lines gouged deeply into his face.

"I guessed, fifteen years ago" said Dumbledore "when I saw the scar on your forehead and the one on Emma's shoulder, what it might mean. I guessed that it might be the sign of a connection forged between you two and Voldemort."

"You've told me this before, Professor" said Harry bluntly. He did not care about being rude. He did not care about anything very much anymore.

"Yes" said Dumbledore apologetically. "Yes, but you see- it is necessary to start with your scars. For it became apparent, shortly after you rejoined the magical world, that I was correct, and that your scar was giving you two warnings when Voldemort was close to either one of you, or else feeling powerful emotion."

"I know" said Harry wearily.

"And this ability of yours, both of yours, to detect Voldemort's presence, even when he is disguised, and to know what he is feeling when his emotions are roused- has become more and more pronounced since Voldemort returned to his own body and his full powers."

Harry did not bother to nod. He knew all of this already. It was also clear that Emma had to because she had a dazed look as she stared out into the field behind Dumbledore.

"More recently" said Dumbledore "I became concerned that Voldemort might realise that this connection between you tow and him exists. Sure enough, there came a time when you entered so far into his mind and thoughts that he sensed your presence. I am speaking, of course, of the night when you both witnessed the attack on Mr Weasley."

"Yeah, Snape told me" Harry muttered.

"But I thought that was a vision" Emma said suddenly. "It felt like a vision and it felt so real."

"Professor Snape, Harry" Dumbledore corrected Harry quietly. "And, yes, it was sort of a vision. But you're not supposed to have visions unless you know that person personally. You are neither a friend nor family of Voldemort's." He then turned to Harry and said "But did you not wonder why it was not I who explained this to you? Why I did not teach you Occlumency? Why I had not so much as looked at you two for months?"

Harry looked up. He could see now that Dumbledore looked sad and tired.

"Yeah" Harry mumbled. "Yeah, we wondered."

"You see" Dumbledore continued. "I believed it could not be long before Voldemort attempted to force his way into your minds, to manipulate and misdirect your thoughts and visions, and I was not eager to give him more incentives to do so. I was sure that if he realised that our relationships was- or had ever been- closer than that of headmaster and pupils, he would seize his chance to use you both as a means to spy on me. I feared the uses to which he would put you both, the possibility that he might try and possess you one at a time. Harry, I believe I was right to think that Voldemort would have made use of Emma or you in such a way. On these rare occasions when we had close contact, I thought I saw a shadow of him stir behind both of your eyes..."

Emma remembered the feeling that a dormant snake had risen in her, and immediately jumped away from that memory. That was a box she was going to keep firmly closed.

"Voldemort's aim in possessing you, as he demonstrated tonight, would not have been my destruction. It would have been yours, Emma."

"I know" Emma whispered. "I know about the connection between me and Harry."

"What connection?" Harry asked, rounding on Emma.

"There's this connection between you and me" Emma explained. "Whenever you feel pain, I feel pain, whenever you are hurt, I know, if you die, I could die with you."

"He hoped, when he possessed you briefly a short while ago" Dumbledore continued "that I would sacrifice you in the hope of killing him. So you see, I have been trying, in distancing myself from you both, to protect you and Emma. An old man's mistake..."

He sighed deeply. Harry was letting the words wash over him. He would have been so interested to know all this a few months ago, but now it was meaningless compared to the gaping chasm inside him that was the lose of Sirius; none of it mattered...

"Sirius told me you felt Voldemort awake inside you, Harry, the very night that you two had the vision of Arthur Weasley's attack, and that he was sure Emma had felt it to, though she was very good at hiding it. I knew at once that my worst fears were correct: Voldemort had realised he could use you both. In an attempt to arm you against Voldemort's assaults on your minds, I arranged Occlumency lessons with Professor Snape."

He paused. Emma watched the sunlight, which was sliding slowly across the polished surface of Dumbledore's desk; illuminate a silver ink pot and a handsome scarlet quill. She could tell that the portraits all around them were awake and listening to Dumbledore's explanation. Phineas Nigellus had still not returned. It was funny. She almost wanted him to come back and say that Sirius was alive and well and that they must have been mistaken...

"Professor Snape discovered" Dumbledore resumed "that you had both been dreaming or having visions about the door to the Department of Mysteries for months. Voldemort, of course, had been obsessed with the possibility of hearing the prophecy over since he regained his body, and as he dwelled on the door, so did you, Harry, though you did not know what it meant.

"And then you saw Rookwood, who worked in the Department of Mysteries before his arrest, telling Voldemort what we had known all along- that the prophecies held in the Ministry of Magic are heavily protected. Only the people to whom they refer can lift them from the shelves without suffering madness. In this case, either Voldemort himself would have to enter the Ministry of Magic, or risk revealing himself at last- or else one of you would have to take it for him. It became a matter of even greater urgency that you should master Occlumency."

"But I didn't" muttered Harry. "I didn't practise, I didn't bother. I could've stopped myself having those dreams, I lied to Emma by saying I was practising, Hermione kept telling me to do it, if I had he'd never have been able to show em where to go, and- Sirius wouldn't- Sirius wouldn't..."

"I tried to check he'd taken Sirius" said Emma, saving Harry from saying the one word he didn't want to say. "I went to Umbridge's office. I spoke to Kreacher in the fire in Umbridge's office and he said Sirius wasn't there, he said he'd gone! Kreacher adores me, so much that he's made George jealous of him, and I can't find any reason for him to lie to me!"

"You are not his mistress" said Dumbledore calmly. "He could lie to you without even needing to punish himself. He only lied to you because he hates Sirius. Kreacher intended you two to go to the Ministry of Magic."

"He- he sent us there on purpose?" Emma asked in disbelief.

"Oh yes. Kreacher, I am afraid, has been serving more than one master for months."

"How?" said Emma blankly. "He hasn't been out of Grimmauld Place for years."

"Kreacher seized his opportunity shortly before Christmas" explained Dumbledore "when Sirius, apparently, shouted at him to 'get out'. He took Sirius at his word, and interpreted his as an order to leave the house, He went to the only Black family member for whom he had any respect left... Black's cousin Narcissa, sister of Bellatrix and wife of Lucius Malfoy."

"How do you know all this?" Emma said. She felt sick. She remembered worrying about Kreacher's odd absence over Christmas and remembered talking to George about it, remembered Kreacher turning up again in the attic...

"Kreacher told me last night" said Dumbledore. "You see, when you, Emma, gave Professor Snape that cryptic warning, he realised that both of you had seen Sirius trapped in the bowels of the Department of Mysteries. He, like you, attempted to contact Sirius at once. I should explain that members of the Order of the Phoenix have more reliable methods of communicating than the fire in Dolores Umbridge's office." Emma rolled her eyes. "Professor Snape found that Sirius was alive and safe in Grimmauld Place.

"When, however, you did not return after you gave Dolores Umbridge the slip, Professor Snape grew worried that you still believed Sirius to be a captive of Lord Voldemort's. He alerted certain Order members at once."

Dumbledore heaved a great sigh and continued "Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks, kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus Lupin were at Headquarters when he had contact. All agreed to go to your aid at once. Professor Snape requested that Sirius remain behind, as he needed somebody to remain at headquarters to tell me what had happened, for I was due there at any moment. In the meantime he, Professor Snape, intended to search the Forest for you.

But Sirius did not want to remain behind while the others went to search for you. He delegated to Kreacher the task of telling me what had happened. And so it was when I arrived in Grimmauld Place, it was the elf who told me- laughing fit to burst- where Sirius had gone."

"He was laughing?" said Harry and Emma together in the same hollow voice.

"Oh yes" said Dumbledore. "You see, Kreacher was not able to betray us totally. He is not Secret Keeper for the Order; he could not five the Malfoys our where abouts, or tell them any of the Order's confidential plans that he had been forbidden to reveal. He was bound by the enchantments of his kind, which is to say that he could not disobey a direct order from his master, Sirius. But he gave Narcissa information of sort that is very valuable to Voldemort, yet must have seemed much too minor for Sirius to think of banning from repeating it."

"Like what?" said Harry.

"Like the fact that the person Sirius cared most about in the world was you two" said Dumbledore quietly.

"Sirius cares about me as much as he cares about Harry?" Emma asked, shocked.

"Yes" Dumbledore nodded. "The Malfoys- undoubtedly on Voldemort's instructions- had told him he must find a way of keeping Sirius out of the way once you had seen the vision of Sirius being tortured. Then, if either of you decided to check whether Sirius was at home or not, Kreacher would be able to pretend he was not. Kreacher injured Buckbeak the Hippogriff yesterday, and, at the moment when you made your appearance in the fire, Sirius was upstairs tending to him."

There seemed to be very little air in Harry's lungs; his breathing was quick and shallow and his lips had gone dumb.

"And Kreacher told you all this... and laughed?" he croaked. Angry tears sprang into Emma's eyes.

"He did not wish to tell me" said Dumbledore. "But I am a sufficiently accomplished Legilimens myself to know when I am being lied to and I persuaded him to tell me the full story before, before I left for the Department of Mysteries."

"And" whispered Harry, his hands curled in cold fists on his knees "and Hermione and Emma kept telling us to be nice to him..."

"They were quite right, Harry" said Dumbledore. Emma hated the fact that they were talking about her as if she wasn't there. "I warned Sirius when we adopted twelve Grimmauld Place as our Headquarters that Kreacher must be treated with kindness and respect. I also told him that Kreacher could be dangerous to us. I do not think Sirius took me very seriously, or that he ever saw Kreacher as a being with feelings as acute as a human's..."

"Don't you blame- don't you- talk- about Sirius like..." Harry's breath was constricted, he could not get the words out properly; but the rage that had subsided briefly flared in his again: he would not let Dumbledore criticise Sirius. "Kreacher's a lying- foul- he deserved..."

"Kreacher is what he has been made by wizards and witches, Harry" said Dumbledore. "Yes, he is to be pitied. His existence has been as miserable as your friend Dobby's. He was forced to do Sirius's biding, because Sirius was the last of the family to which he was enslaved, but he felt no true loyalty to him like he does to you, Emma, And whatever Kreacher's faults, it must be admitted that Sirius did nothing to make Kreacher's life a lot easier..."

"DON'T TALKE ABOUT SIRIUS LIKE THAT!" Harry yelled.

He was on his feet again, furious, ready to fly at Dumbledore, who had plainly not understood Sirius at all, how brave he was, how much he had suffered...

"What about Snape?" Harry spat and Emma gasped. "He's as bad as Sirius. And Emma told me that when she told him Voldemort had Sirius he just sneered at her as usual..."

"Harry, you know Professor Snape had no choice but to pretend not to take me seriously in front of Dolores Umbridge" said Emma as calmly as she could.

"Emma's right, Harry" said Dumbledore. "And as I have explained, he informed the Order as soon as possible about what she had said. It was he who deduced where you had gone when you did not return from the Forest. It was he, too, who gave Professor Umbridge fake Veritaserm when she was attempting to force you two to tell her Sirius's where-abouts."

Harry disregarded this; he felt a savage pleasure in blaming Snape, it seemed to be easing his own sense of dreadful guilt, and he wanted to hear Dumbledore and Emma agree with him.

"Snape- Snape g-goaded Sirius about staying in the house- he made out Sirius was a coward..."

"Sirius was much too old and clever to have allowed such feeble taunts to hurt him" said Dumbledore.

"Snape stopped giving us Occlumency lessons!" Harry snarled. "He threw us out of his office!"

"I am aware if it" said Dumbledore heavily. "I have already said that it was a mistake for me not to teach you both myself, though I was sure, at the time, that nothing could have been more dangerous than to open your minds even further to Voldemort while in my presence..."

"Snape made it worse; my scar always hurt worse after lessons with him..." Harry remembered Ron's thoughts on the subject and plunged on "... how do you know he wasn't trying to soften me up for Voldemort, make it easier for him to get inside my..."

"I trust Severus Snape" said Dumbledore simply. "But I forgot- another old man's mistake- that some wounds run too deep for the healing. I thought Professor Snape could overcome his feelings about your father- I was wrong."

"But that's okay is it?" yelled Harry, ignoring the scandalised faces and disapproving muttering of the portraits on the walls which Emma shushed, once again, for his sake. "It's okay for Snape to hate our dad, but it's not okay for Sirius to hate Kreacher?"

"Sirius did not hate Kreacher" said Emma softly. "Sirius was not a cruel man. He was kind to house-elves in general. He had no love for Kreacher, because Kreacher was a living reminder of the home Sirius had hated."

"Yeah, he did hate it!" said Harry, his voice cracking, turning his back on Dumbledore and Emma and walking away. The sun was bright inside the room now and the eyes of all the portraits followed him as he walked, without realising what he was doing, without seeing the office at all. "You made him stay shut up in that house and he hated it, that's why he wanted to get out last night..."

"I was trying to keep Sirius alive" said Dumbledore quietly.

"People don't like being locked up!" Harry said furiously, rounding on him. "You did it to Emma for fifteen years! You did it to me all last summer..."

Dumbledore closed his eyes and buried his face in his long-fingered hands.

"I don't care" Emma shouted, standing up "because I knew. I was the one who begged Dumbledore to keep me in his office most of the time. I knew that I was too dangerous to be around humans for a long period of time. I'm surprised that I haven't killed anyone yet!"

Dumbledore surveyed Harry through his half-moon glasses.

"It is time" he said "for me and Emma to tell you what I should have told you five years ago, Harry. Please sit down. I am going to tell you everything. I ask only a little patience. You will have your chance to rage at me- to do whatever you like- when we have finished. I will not stop you, and neither will Emma."

Harry glared at them for a moment, then flung himself back into the chair next to Emma and waited.

Dumbledore stared for a moment at the sunlit grounds outside the window, then looked back at Harry and said "Five years ago you arrived at Hogwarts, harry, safe and whole, as I had planned and intended. Well- not quite whole. You had suffered. I knew you would when I left you on your Aunt and Uncle's doorstep. I knew I was condemning you to ten dark and difficult years."

He paused. Harry said nothing.

"You might ask- and with good reason- why it had to be so. Why could some Wizarding family not have taken you in? Many would have done so more than gladly, would have been honoured and delighted to raise you as a son.

"My answer is that my priority was to keep you alive. You were in more danger than perhaps anyone up I realised. Voldemort had been vanquished hours before, but his supporters- and many of them are almost as terrible as he- were still at large, angry, desperate and violent. And I had to make my decision, too, with regard to the years ahead. Did I believe that Voldemort. Was he gone forever? No. I knew not whether it would be ten, twenty or fifty years before he returned, but I was sure he would do so, and I was sure, too, knowing him as I have done, that he would not rest until he killed both of you.

I knew that Voldemort's knowledge of magic is perhaps more extensive than any wizards alive. I knew that even my most complex and powerful protective spells and charms were unlikely to be invincible it e ever returned to full power.

But I knew, too, where Voldemort was weak. And so I made my decision. You would be protected by an ancient magic of which he knows, which he despises, and which he has always, therefore, underestimated- to his cost. I am speaking, of course, of the fact that your mother died to save you both. She gave you two a lingering protection he never expected, a protection that flows in your veins to this day. I put my trust, therefore, in your mother's blood. I delivered you to her sister, her only remaining relative."

"She doesn't love me" said Harry at once. "She doesn't give a damn..."

"But she took you" Emma cut across him. "She may have taken you grudgingly, furiously, unwillingly, bitterly, yet still she took you, and in doing so, she sealed the charm Professor Dumbledore placed upon us. Our mother's sacrifice made the bong of blood the strongest shield he could give us."

"I still don't..."

"While you can still call home the place where your mother's blood dwells, there you cannot be touched or harmed by Voldemort" Dumbledore said. "He shed her blood, but it lives on in you and her sister. Her blood became your refuge. You need return there only once a year, but as long as you can still call it home, whilst you are there he cannot hurt either of you. Your Aunt knows this, though she does not know of Emma. I explained what I had done in the letter I left, with you, on her doorstep. She knows that allowing you houseroom may well have kept you both alive for the past fifteen years."

"Wait" said Harry. "Wait a moment."

He sat up straighter in his chair, staring at Dumbledore.

"You sent that Howler. You told her to remember- it was your voice..."

"Howler?" Dumbledore asked, looking, and sounding, confused. "What Howler?"

"Ah" Emma murmured. "That was me. I thought that she might need reminding of the pact she had sealed by taking you. I suspected the Dementor attack might have awoken her to the dangers of having you as a surrogate son. I copied Dumbledore's voice and sent it on the fastest owl I could find.

"It did" said Harry quietly. "Well- my uncle more than her. He wanted to chuck me out, but after the Howler had come she- she said I had to stay."

He stared at the floor for a moment, and then said "But what has this got to do with..."

He could not say Sirius's name.

"Five years ago, then" continued Dumbledore, as though he had not paused in his story "you arrived at Hogwarts, neither as happy nor as well-nourished as I would have liked, perhaps, yet alive and healthy. You were not a pampered little prince, but as normal a boy as I could have hoped under the circumstances. Thus far, my plan was working well. Of course, you were little curios about Emma because no one knew about her and you thought you knew her, you just didn't remember her. That was okay; it was only natural.

"And then... well, you will remember the events of your first year at Hogwarts quite as clearly as I and Emma do. You rose magnificently to the challenge that faced you and sooner- much sooner- than I had anticipated, you found yourself face to face with Voldemort. You survived again, with a little help of course. You did more. You delayed his return to full power and strength. You fought a man's fight. I was... prouder of you than I can say."

"And I was scared to death" Emma admitted, smiling sadly. "Just seeing your body like that on those stone steps was terrifying. You almost gave me a heart attack that wasn't possible!"

"Yet there was a flaw in this wonderful plan of mine" Dumbledore continued. "An obvious flaw that I knew, even then, might be the undoing of it all. And yet, knowing how important it was that my plan should succeed, I told myself that I would not permit this flaw to ruin it. I alone could prevent this, so I alone must be strong. And here was my first test, as you lay in the hospital wing, weak from your struggle with Voldemort."

"I don't understand what you're saying" said Harry.

"Don't you remember asking Professor Dumbledore, as you lay in the hospital wing, why Voldemort had tried to kill you when you were a body?" Emma said, looking up at Harry.

Harry nodded.

"Ought I to have told you then?" Dumbledore said.

Harry stared into the blue eyes and said nothing, but his heart was racing again.

"You do not see the flaw in the plan yet? No... perhaps not. Well, as you know, I decided not to answer you. Elven, I told myself, was too young to know. I had never intended to tell you when you were eleven. The knowledge would be too much at such a young age."

"And I gave him hell afterwards" Emma nodded, pursing her lips. "I didn't see why he couldn't tell you seen as he had told me all this when I was five years old. So Professor Dumbledore sat me down, just like we are now, and explained that, because I was a vampire, the knowledge wasn't too much for me."

"And so we entered your second year at Hogwarts" Dumbledore said. "And once again you met challenges even grown wizards and witches have never faced; once again you acquitted yourself beyond my wildest dreams. You did not ask me again, however, why Voldemort had left that mark on you. We discussed your scar, oh yes... we came very, very close to the subject. Why did I not tell you everything?

"Well, it seemed to me that twelve was, after all, hardly better than eleven to receive such information."

"This time" Emma added "I didn't give him hell. Instead I agreed with him. After what I had seen, it seemed a little too young to me. I told Dumbledore that he was going to have to tell you in your third year. To me, that seemed the right time."

"Do you see, Harry? Do you see the flaw in my brilliant plan now? I had fallen into the trap I and Emma had foreseen, that I told myself I could avoid, that must avoid."

"I don't..."

"I cared about you too much" said Dumbledore simply. "I cared more for your happiness than you knowing the truth, more for your peace of mind than my plan, more for your life than the lives that might be lost if the plan failed. In other words, I acted exactly as Voldemort expects us fools who love act.

"We entered your third year. I watched from a far as you struggled to repel the Dementors, as you found Sirius, learned what he was to you and rescued him. Was I to tell you then, at the moment when you had triumphantly snatched your godfather from the jaws of the Ministry? But now, at the age of thirteen, my excused were running out."

"I couldn't understand why he didn't tell you. And I was really angry" Emma said rather matter of factly. "I shouted myself horse for six hours straight."

"You came out of the maze last year, having watched Cedric Diggory die, having escaped death so narrowly yourself... and I did not tell you, though I knew, now Voldemort had returned, I must do it soon."

"That night Dumbledore had to lock me up in my bedroom so I couldn't go and tell you myself" Emma cut in. "I'm just glad I have a whole library of books in there to keep me entertained while I calmed myself down."

"And now, tonight, I know you have long been ready for the knowledge I have kept from you for so long, because you have proved that I should have placed the burden upon you before this. My only defence is this: I have watched you struggle under more burdens than any student who has ever passed through this school and I could not bring myself to be the one who added another- the greatest one of all."

Harry waited, but neither Dumbledore nor Emma spoke.

"I still don't understand."

"Voldemort tried to kill us when were children because of a prophecy made shortly before we were born" Emma explained, turning in her chair so she was facing Harry. "He knew the prophecy had been made, though he did not know its full contents. He set out to kill us when were still babies, believing he was fulfilling the terms of the prophecy. He discovered, to his cost, that he was mistaken, when the curses that were intended to kill us backfired. And so, since his return to his body, and particularly since our different escapes from him over the past few years, he has been determined to hear that prophecy in its full form. This is a weapon he has been seeking so assiduously since his return: the knowledge of how to destroy us."

The sun had risen fully now: Dumbledore's office was bathed in it. The glass in which the sword of Godric Gryffindor resided gleamed white and opaque, the fragments of the instruments Harry had thrown to the floor glistened like raindrops, and behind Emma and Harry, the baby Fawkes made soft chirruping noises in the nest of ashes.

"The prophecy is smashed" said Harry blankly.

"The thing that smashed" said Dumbledore "was merely the record of the prophecy kept by the Department of Mysteries. But the prophecy was made to somebody, and that person has the means of recalling it perfectly."

"Who heard it?" asked Harry, though he though he knew the answer already.

"I did" said Dumbledore.

Emma got up and walked towards a black cabernet behind Fawkes. She came back holding the Pensieve. She places it on to the desk and sat back down in her seat. Dumbledore raised his wand to his own temple and from which he drew a memory. He pulled it with his want all the way into the Pensieve.

A figure rose out of it, draped in shawls, her eyes magnified to enormous size behind her glasses, and she revolved slowly, her feet in the basin. But when Sybill Trelawney spoke, it was not in her usual mystical voice, but in the harsh, hoarse tones Harry and Emma had heard her use before:

**Two children with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches...**

**Both born to those who have thrice defied him,**

**Both born as the seventh month dies...**

**And the Dark Lord will mark them as his equal,**

**But they will have power the Dark Lord knows not,**

**And either must die at the hand of the other**

**For neither can live while the other survives...**

**One of the two will protect the other like an angel from above...**

The slowly revolving Professor Trelawney sank back into the silver mass below and vanished.

The silence within the office was absolute. Neither Dumbledore or Harry or Emma or any of the portraits made a sound. Even Fawkes had fallen silent.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Harry said very quietly, for Dumbledore, still staring at the Pensieve, seemed completely lost in thought. "It... did that mean... what did that mean?"

"It meant" said Dumbledore "that the two people who have the only chance of conquering Lord Voldemort for good were both born at the end of July, nearly sixteen years ago. This boy and girl would e born to parents who had already defied Voldemort three times. One of them would protect the other."

Harry felt as though something was closing in on him. His breathing seemed to have become difficult again.

"It means me and Emma?"

Dumbledore surveyed him for a moment over the top of his half-moon spectacles.

"The odd thing is" he said softly "is that it may not have meant you, Harry, at all. It defiantly meant Emma, but Sybill's prophecy could have applied to two wizard boys, both born at the end of July that year, both of whom had parents in the Order of Phoenix, both sets of parents having escaped Voldemort three times. One, of course, was you. The other was Neville Longbottom."

"But then... but then, why was it mine and Emma's name on the prophecy and not Neville and Emma's?"

"The official records were re-labelled after Voldemort's attack on you two as children" said Dumbledore. "It seemed plain to the keeper of the Hall of Prophecy that Voldemort could only have tried to kill you two because he knew that you were the people Sybill was referring."

"Then it might not be me?" said Harry. Emma really wished it wasn't him. But, then again, she wouldn't want it to be Neville either. She wouldn't wish this burden on anyone.

"I am afraid" said Dumbledore slowly, looking as though every word cost him a great effort and was causing him pain "that there is now no doubt that it is you."

"But you said- Neville was born on the end of July, too- and..."

"You are forgetting the next part of the prophecy" Emma said, cutting him of. "You forgot the final indentifying feature of the boy who could vanquish Voldemort... Voldemort himself would mark them as his equal. And so he did. He chose you, not Neville. He gave you the scar, like me, that has proved both a blessing and curse."

"But I don't have any powers he hasn't got!" said Harry in a strangled voice. "I couldn't fight the way he did tonight. I can't possess people or- or kill them..."

"When Voldemort posed you, Harry" Emma said "Voldemort could not bear to reside in your body because it was so full of the forces he hates so much. In the end, it mattered not that you could not close your mind. It was your heart that saved you. Now, I don't know what you were thinking about, but it saved your life, and many people around you."

Harry closed his eyes. If they had not gone to save Sirius, Sirius would not have died... More to stave off the moment when he would have to think about Sirius again, Harry asked, without caring much about the answer "The end of the prophecy... it was something about... _neither can live..._"

"..._while the other survives_" said Emma quietly.

"So" said Harry, dredging up the words from what felt like a deep well of despair inside him "so does that mean that... that one of us has got to kill the other one... in the end?"

"Yes" said Dumbledore.

There was a couple of moments of silence before Dumbledore broke it by saying to Harry "I feel I owe you another explanation. You may, perhaps, have wondered why I never chose you as a prefect. I must confess... that I rather thought... you had enough responsibility to be going on with."

Harry and Emma looked up at him- almost the perfect mirrors of their mother and father when they got told their news just over fifteen years ago- and saw a tear trickling down Dumbledore's face into his long silver beard.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The Second War Begins

**Note from Emma Lily Potter- War doesn't determined who is right, only who is left.**

_HE WHO NOT BE NAMED TETURNS_

'_In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to this country and is once more active.'_

"_It is my greatest regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself as Lord- well, you know who I mean- is alive and among us again" said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed the reporters. "It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the Dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe the Dementors are currently taking direction from Lord- Thingy._

"_We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defence which will be delivered free to all Wizarding homes within the coming month."_

'_The Ministry's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the Wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was "no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumours that You- Know- Who is operating amongst us once more"._

'_Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He Who Must Not Be Named and a select band of followers (Known as Death Eaters) gained entry to the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening._

_Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has so far been unavailable for comment. He insisted over the past year that You- Know- Who is not dead, as was widely hoped and believed, but is recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile, the "Boy and Girl Who Lived"-_

"There you are, you two. I knew they'd drag you into it somehow" said Hermione, looking over the top of the paper at them.

They were in the hospital wing. Harry was sitting at the end of Ron's bed and they were both listening to Hermione read the front page of the _Sunday Prophet. _Emma was floating cross legged in the air between the two beds and taking in every that she said but not really processing the meaning very well and looking into the future at random out of sheer boredom.. Ginny, whose ankle had been checked over by Madam Pomfrey, was curled up at the foot of Hermione's bed. Neville, whose nose had been returned to its normal shape and size, was in a chair between the two beds in front of Emma; and Luna, who had dropping in to visit, clutching the latest edition of _The Quibbler, _was reading the magazine upside-down and apparently not taking a word Hermione was saying.

"Harry's the "Boy Who Lived" again now, though, isn't her?" said Ron darkly. "Not such a deluded show-off any more, eh? And now Emma's just as famous as him. The "Girl Who Lived"?"

"Not my fault" Emma mumbled for the hundredth time today. "I much rather be locked up in Dumbledore's office. That way I can keep away from all those love-sick puppies out there."

Everyone laughed at her name she had given to half the boy population in the school.

"Yes, they're very complimentary about you two now" said Hermione, scanning down the article. "Lon voices of truth... perceived as unbalanced, yet never wavered in their story... forced to bear ridicule and slander... Hmmm" she said, frowning "I notice they don't mention the fact that it was the Ministry and them that were doing all the ridiculing and slandering..."

She winced slightly and put a hand on her ribs. She had been hit by a pretty nasty curse, though it would have been more effective if her opponent hold said the incantation aloud, had never the less caused, in Madam Pomfrey's words, "quite enough damage to be going on with". Hermione had to take ten different types of potions every day, was improving greatly and was already bored with the hospital wing.

"You-Know-Who's last Attempt to Take Over, pages two to four. What the Ministry should Have Told Us, page five. Why Nobody Listened to Dumbledore, pages six to eight. Exclusive Interview with Harry and Emma Potter, page nine to ten."

"Well" said Emma, as Hermione folded up the newspaper and throwing it aside "we have certainly given them lots to write about. But that interview with us isn't exclusive, though. It's the one that was in _The Quibbler _months ago..."

"Daddy sold it to them" said Luna vaguely, turning a page of _The Quibbler. _"He got a very good prince for it, too. See, we're going to go on an expedition to Sweden this summer to see if we can catch a Crumple- Horned Snorkack."

Hermione seemed to struggle with herself for a moment, and then said "That sounds lovely."

The rest of them had a hard time keeping a straight face at her words.

"So, anyway" said Hermione, sitting up a little straighter and wincing again "what is going on in school?"

"Well, Flitwick's got rid of Fred and George's swamp" said Ginny. "He did it in about three seconds, but he left a tiny patch under the window and he's roped it off..."

"Why?" said Hermione, looking startled.

"Oh, he just says it was a really good bit of magic" said Ginny, shrugging.

"I think he left it as a monument to Fred and George" Emma said, taping her head knowingly.

"Ah, but we know our Emmy doesn't need a monument of young George" Ron teased her "seen as she had a picture of him that she carried around everywhere."

"Shut up!" Emma hissed, blushing ten shades of red and almost falling out of the air.

"They sent me all these, you know" Ron told Harry through a mouthful of chocolate, pointing at a small mountain of Frogs beside him. "Must be doing all right out of that joke shop, eh?"

Hermione looked rather disapproving and asked "So has all the trouble stopped now Dumbledore's back? Is everything back to normal?"

"Yes" said Neville. "Everything has settled right back to normal."

"Yeah" Emma nodded and added sarcastically as Ron propped a Chocolate Frog featuring Dumbledore against his water jug "and Flinch is over the moon about it."

"He's really, really miserable" Ginny nodded. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "He keeps saying Umbridge was the best thing that has ever happened to Hogwarts..."

All seven of them looked around. Professor Umbridge was lying in a bed opposite them, gazing up at the ceiling. Nobody really knew what was wrong with her. Her usually neat mousy hair was very untidy and there were still bits of twigs and leaves in it, but otherwise she seemed to be quite unscathed. Well, apart from the fact that she had barely uttered a word ever since she got back from the Forest.

"Madam Pomfrey says she's just in shock" whispered Hermione.

"Sulking more like" said Ginny and Emma together.

"Yeah, she shows signs of life if you do this" said Ron, and with his tongue he made soft clip-clopping noises. Umbridge sat bolt upright, looking around wildly.

"Anything wrong, Professor Umbridge?" called Madam Pomfrey, poking her head around her office door.

"No...No..." said Umbridge, sinking back into her pillows. "No, I must have been dreaming..."

Hermione, Ginny and Emma had to muffle their laughter.

"Speaking of centaurs" said Hermione, when they had recovered a little "who is Divination teacher now? Is Firenze staying?"

"He's got to" said Harry "the centaurs won't take him back, will they?"

"It looks like both he and Trelawney are going to have to teach together" said Ginny.

"They are" Emma nodded. "They are going to have to share the job."

"Bet Dumbledore wishes he could've got rid of Trelawney for good" said Ron, now munching on his fourteenth Frog. "Mind you, the whole subject is useless if you ask me. Firenze isn't a lot better..."

"How can you say that when we know that there are such things as prophecies?" Hermione asked him.

Harry's heart began to race and Emma looked slightly uncomfortable in the air. He and Emma both agreed that they weren't going to tell Ron and Hermione yet. After all, they weren't ready to see their expression when they told them that they must be either a murderer or a victim. There was no other way...

"Where are you two going?" Ron asked, looking both surprised and disappointed as Harry stood up and Emma places her feet gracefully back on the ground.

"Err- Hagrid's" said Harry.

"You know he just got back" Emma added "and we promised we'd go down and see him and tell him how you two are and our side of the story of what had happened at the Ministry."

"Oh all right ten" Ron grumbled, looking out of the window at the patch of bright blue sky beyond. "Wish we could come."

"Say hello to him for us!" called Hermione, as Harry and Emma proceeded down the ward. "And ask what's happening about... about his little friend!"

Emma gave a wave of her hand to show they had heard and understood what she had said as they left the ward.

The castle seemed very quiet even for a Sunday. Everybody was clearly out in the sunny grounds, enjoying the end of their exams and the prospect of a last few days of term unhampered by revision or homework. Harry and Emma walked slowly together along the deserted corridor, peering out of windows as they went; they could see people messing around in the air over the Quidditch pitch and a couple of students swimming in the lake, accompanied by a giant squid.

They thought that they might really go and visit Hagrid, though, as they had not talked to him properly since he'd returned and it was something they could do. They really needed to talk to someone who understood how they were feeling.

Harry and Emma had just descended the last marble steps into the Entrance Hall when Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle emerged from a door on the tight that they both knew led down to the Slytherin common room. Harry and Emma stopped dead; so did Malfoy and the others. The only sounds were the shouts, laughter and splashes drifting into the Hall from the grounds through the open front doors.

Malfoy glanced around- obviously checking for signs of teachers- then looked back at them and said in a low voice "You're dead, Potters."

Harry raised his eyebrows and shared a look with Emma.

"Funny" Emma replied, looking back at Malfoy with an amused expression "you'd think we'd have stopped walking around, wouldn't you, Harry?"

Harry looked angrier than Harry or Emma had ever seen him; they felt a kind of detached satisfaction at the sight of his pale, pointed face contorted with rage.

"You two are going to pay" said Malfoy, in a voice barely louder than w whisper. "I'm going to make you two pay for what you have done to my father..."

"Well, I'm terrified now" said Emma sarcastically while Harry rolled his eyes. "I suppose Lord Voldemort's just a warm-up act compared to you three- what's the matter?" she added, for Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle had all looked stricken at the sound of the name. "He's a mate of your dads, isn't he? Not scared of him, are you?"

"You think you are such a big girl, Potter" said Malfoy, advancing now, Crabbe and Goyle flanking him. "You wait. I will have you both. You two can't just land my father in prison..."

"I think we just did" said Harry.

"The Dementors have left Azkaban" said Malfoy quietly. "Dad and the others will be out in no time..."

"Yeah, I expect they will" said Emma. "Still, at least everyone knows what scumbags they are now..."

Malfoy's hand flew towards his wand, but Harry was too quick for him; he had drawn his own wand before Malfoy's fingers had even entered the pocket of his robes. It was sometimes Emma had always admired about her brother.

"Potter!"

The voice rang across the Entrance Hall. Snape had emerged from the staircase leading down to his office and at the sight of him Harry felt a great rush of hatred beyond anything he felt towards Malfoy... whatever Dumbledore and Emma said, he would never forgive Snape... never...

"What are you doing, Potter?" said Snape, as coldly as ever, as he strode to the four of them.

"I'm trying to decide what curse to sue on Malfoy, sir" said Harry fiercely.

"Not a good move Harry" Emma breathed so quietly that Harry had to strain to hear her words.

Snape stared at them.

"Malfoy was about to attack me and Harry was about to use his wand to protect me" Emma said simply. "Call it brotherly love and protectiveness."

"Put that wand away at once" he said curtly, ignoring Emma completely. "Ten points from Gryff..."

Snape looked towards the giant hour-glasses on the walls and gave a sneering smile.

"Ah. I see there are no longer any points left in the Gryffindor hour-glass to take away. In that case, Potter, we will simply have to..."

"Add some more?"

Professor McGonagall had just stumped up the stone steps in the castle; she was carrying a tartan carpetbag in one hand and leaning heavily on a walking stick with her other, but otherwise looked quite well. Emma had to congratulate her silently on her epic timing.

"Professor McGonagall!" said Snape, striding forwards. "Out of St Mungo's, I see!"

"Yes, Professor Snape" said Professor McGonagall, shrugging off her travelling cloak "I'm quite as good as new. You two- Crabbe- Goyle..."

She beckoned them forwards imperiously and they came, shuffling their large feet and looking awkward. Emma had to turn away, smirking.

"Here" said Professor McGonagall, thrusting her carpetbag into Crabbe's chest and her cloak into Goyle's "take these up to my office for me."

They turned and stumped away up the marble staircase.

"Right then" said Professor McGonagall, looking up at the hourglasses on the wall. "Well, I think Potters and their friends ought to have fifty apiece for alerting the word to the return of You-Know-Who! What do you say, Professor Snape?"

"What?" snapped Snape, though Harry and Emma knew he had heard perfectly well. "Oh- well- I suppose..."

"So that's fifty each for the Potters, the two Weasleys, Longbottom and Miss Granger" sad Professor McGonagall, and a shower of rubies fell down into the bottom bulb of Gryffindor's hourglass as she spoke. "Oh- and fifty for Miss Lovegood, I suppose" she added, and a number of sapphires fell into Ravenclaw's glass. "Now, you wanted to take ten from Mr Potter, I think, Professor Snape- so there we are..."

A few rubies retreated into the upper bulb, leaving a respectable amount below nevertheless.

"Well, Mr and Miss Potter, Mr Malfoy, I think you ought to be outside on a glorious day like this" Professor McGonagall continued briskly.

Harry and Emma did not need telling twice; they headed straight for the front doors without another glance at Snape and Malfoy while Harry stuffed his wand back inside his robes.

The hot sun hit them with a blast as they walked across the lawns towards Hagrid's cabin. Students lying around on the grass sunbathing, talking, reading the _Sunday Prophet _and eating sweets looked up at them as they passed; some called to them, or else waved, clearly eager to show that they, like the _Prophet, _had decided they were something like hero's. Neither of them said anything to any of them. They had no idea how much they knew of what had happened three days ago, but they had so far avoided being questioned and preferred to keep it that way.

They thought at first when they knocked on Hagrid's cabin door that he was out, but the fang came charging around the corner and almost bowled Emma over- dew to her height- with the enthusiasm of his welcome. Hagrid, it was transpired, was pocking runner beans in his back garden.

"All righ', you two" he said, beaming, when Harry and Emma approached the fence. "Come in, come in, we'll have a cup o' dandelion juice...

"How's things?" Hagrid asked them, as they settled down at his wooden table with a glass of iced juice. "You two- err- feelin' all righ', are yeh?"

Harry and Emma knew from the look of concern on Hagrid's face that he was not referring to their physical well-being.

"We're fine" Harry said quickly, because he could not bear to discuss the thing that he knew was in Hagrid's mind.

"Well, at least we will be" Emma added and changed the subject for Harry's sake. "So, where've you been?"

"Bin hidin' out in the mountains" said Hagrid, taking the hint.

"You- you look better" said Harry, who was determined to keep the conversation staying clear of Sirius.

"Wha'?" said Hagrid, raising a massive hand and feeling his face. "Oh- oh yeah. Well, Grawpy's loads better now, loads. Seemed right pleased ter see me when I got back, ter tell yeh the truth. He's a good lad, really. So, how's George? I swear I've bin spendin' half me life tryin' ter keep him an' Fred outta that Forest."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Emma saw Harry quickly drinking his juice and knew he wanted to get out of there quickly.

"Fine" she smiled sadly. "I miss him a lot, but their joke shop their running is doing pretty well."

There were a couple of minutes of silence which was broken by Hagrid saying "Everyone knows you two've bin tellin' the truth now, Harry. Tha's gotta be something, hasn' it?"

Harry shrugged.

"Look..." Hagrid leaned towards them across the table "I knew Sirius longer than yeh did... he died in battle, an' tha's the way he'd have wanted ter go..."

"He didn't want to go at all!" said Harry angrily.

Hagrid bowed his great shaggy head.

"Nah, I don' reckon he did" he said really quietly and sadly. "But still, Harry... he was never one ter sit aroun' at home an' let other people do the fightin'. He couldn' have lived with himself if he hadn' gone ter help..."

Harry leaped up abruptly, making Emma jump ever so slightly.

"We've got to go and visit Ron and Hermione in the hospital wing" he said mechanically.

"Oh" sad Hagrid, looking rather upset. "Oh... all righ' then, you two... take care o' yourselves then, an' drop back in yeh've got a mo..."

"We will" Emma nodded and, after shooting Hagrid an apologetic look, followed Harry outside.

Once again, people called out to them as they passed. Emma closed her eyes for a few moments, wishing they would all vanish, that she could open her eyes and find themselves alone in the grounds; for her brother's sake...

Harry and Emma found a quiet spot down by the take out of the view of prying eyes.

"I know how you are feeling" Emma whispered, looking up at Harry through her eyelashes. She wouldn't like to admit it, but her brother scared her; a lot.

"No, you don't" Harry replied stiffly.

"Yes, I do" she insisted. "A few days ago, before your exams had finished and before you had seen the vision Voldemort had planted in your mind, you would have given almost anything for the Wizarding world to know we had been telling the truth, for them to believe that Voldemort was back, and to know that we were neither liars nor mad. Now, however, is a different story.

"I believe the reason you want to be alone all the time was because you have felt so isolated from everybody since the talk with Dumbledore and me. An invisible barrier separated you from the rest of the word. You are- and always have been- a marked man; and I am a marked woman. It's just that you have never really understood what that meant...

"And yet, sitting here on the edge of this lake, with the terrible weight of grief dragging at you, with the loss of Sirius so raw inside you, you cannot muster any greater sense of fear. It is sunny, and the grounds around you are full of laughing people, and even though you feel as distant from them as though you feel as distant from them as though you belong to a different race, it is still very hard to believe as you sit here that your life must include, or end in, murder..."

She trailed of, looking wearily at harry and wondering whether or not Harry was going to throw a fit on her or not.

But he just sat there for a long time, staring out at the water, trying not to think about his godfather or to remember that it was directly across from here, on the opposite bank, that Sirius had once collapsed trying to fend off a hundred Dementors...

"Thank you" he said finally, turning his head to face Emma. "Thank you for understanding, for trying to help and breaking through the wall I never realised I had created."

He took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Hey, that's what little sisters are for" she whispered and rested her head on his shoulder.

The sun had long set before Emma and Harry realised Harry was cold. She helped him up and guided him back to the castle, wiping away her tears as she went.

The journey home on the Hogwarts Express four days later was eventful in several ways. Firstly, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, who had clearly been waiting all week for the opportunity to strike without teacher witnesses, attempted to ambush Harry and Emma halfway down the twin. The attack might have succeeded had it not been for the fact that they chose unwittingly to stage the attack right outside a compartment full of DA members, who saw what was happening through the glass and rose as once to their aid. But the time Ernie, Hannah, Susan, Justin, Anthony, Terry, Emma and Harry had finished using a wide variety of hexes and jinxes Harry and Emma had taught them, Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle resembled nothing so much as three gigantic slugs squeezed into Hogwarts uniform as Harry, Ernie and Justin hoisted them into the luggage rack and left them there to ooze.

"I must say, I'm looking forward to seeing Malfoy's mother's face when he gets off the train" said Ernie, with some satisfaction, as he watched Malfoy squirm above him. Ernie had never quite got over the indignity of Malfoy docking points from Hufflepuff during his brief spell as a member of the Inquisitorial Squad.

"Goyle's mum will be really pleased, though" said Ron, who had come to investigate the source of the commotion. "He's loads better-looking now... anyway, Harry, Emma, the food trolley's just stopped if you want anything...

Harry and Emma thanked the others and accompanied Ron back to their compartment, where Emma brought five boxes of Bertie Bott's Every Flavoured Beans and Harry brought a large pile of cauldron cakes and pumpkin pasties. Hermione was reading the _Daily Prophet_ again, Ginny started to do a quiz in _The Quibbler_ on Emma and Neville was stroking his _Mimbulus mimbletonia,_ which had grown a great deal over the year and now made odd crooning noises when touched.

Harry and Ron whiled away most of the journey playing wizard chess while Hermione read out snippets from the _Prophet _while Emma and Ginny tested each other. _The Prophet _was now full of articles about how to repel Dementors, attempts by the Ministry to track down Death Eaters and hysterical letters claiming that the writer had seen Lord Voldemort walking past their house that very morning...

"It hasn't really started yet" sighed Emma sadly, while Ginny was looking for other tests. "But it won't be long now..."

"Hey, Harry" said Ron softly, nodding towards the glass window on to the corridor.

Harry looked around. Cho was passing, accompanied by Marietta Edgecambe, who was wearing balaclava. His and Cho's eyes met for a moment. Cho blushed and kept walking. Harry looked back down at the chessboard just in time to see one of his pawns chased off its square by Ron's knight.

"What's- err- going on with you and her, anyway?" Ron asked quietly.

"Nothing" said Harry truthfully.

"I- err- heard she's going out with someone else now" said Hermione tentatively.

Harry was surprised to find that this information did not hurt at all. Wanting to impress Cho seemed to belong to a past that was no longer quite connected with him; so much of what he had wanted before Sirius's death felt that way these days... the week that had elapsed since he had last seen Sirius seemed to have lasted much, much longer; it stretched across two universes, the one with Sirius in, and the one without.

"You're well out of it" said Emma forcefully; looking up from a book she had started to read. "I mean, she's quite good-looking and all that, but you want someone a bit more cheerful."

"So now you control who I go out with" Harry muttered. Emma rolled her eyes.

"No. It's just that I care about you" she said simply. "And anyway, I've seen who you end up with and I can assure you it is NOT Cho."

"Who's she with now, anyway?" Ron asked Hermione, but it was Ginny who answered.

"Michael Corner" she said.

"Michael- but..." said Ron, craning around in his seat to stare at her. "But you were going out with him!"

"Not any more" said Ginny resolutely. "He didn't like Gryffindor beating Ravenclaw at Quidditch, and got really sulky, so I ditched him and he ran off to comfort Cho instead." She scratched her nose absently with the end of her quill, turned _The Quibbler _upside-down and began marking Emma answers. Ron looked highly delighted.

"Well, I always thought he was a bit of an idiot" he said, prodding his queen towards Harry's quivering castle. "Good for you. Just choose someone- better- next time."

He cast Harry an oddly furtive look as he said it.

"Well, I've chosen Dean Thomas, would you say he's better?" asked Ginny vaguely.

"WHAT?" shouted Ron, upending the chessboard: Crookshaks went plunging after the pieces, Hedwig and Pigwidgeon twittered and hooted angrily from overhead and Emma burst into a fit of giggles.

As the train slowed down in the approach to King's Cross, Harry thought he had never wanted to leave it less. He even wondered fleetingly what would happen if he simply refused to get off, but remained stubbornly sitting there until the first of September, when it would take him back to Hogwarts. He knew, though, that would Emma would drag him off the bus, using spells if she had to. When it finally puffed to a standstill he lifted Hedwig's cage and prepared to drag his trunk from the train.

When the ticket inspector signalled to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Emma that it was safe to walk through the magical barrier between platforms nine and ten, however, they found a surprise awaiting them on the other side: a group of people standing there to greet them who they had not expected at all.

There was Mad-Eye Moody, looking quite sinister with his bowler hat pulled low over his magical eye as he would have done without it, his gnarled hands clutching a long staff, his body wrapped in a voluminous travelling cloak. Tonks stood just behind him, her bright bubble-gum-pink hair gleaming in the sunlight filtering through the dirty glass of the station ceiling, wearing heavily patched jeans and a bright purple T-shirt bearing the legend The Weird Sisters. Next to Tonks was Lupin, his face pale, his hair greying, a long and threadbare overcoat covering a shabby jumper and trousers. At the front of the group stood Mr and Mrs Weasley, dressed in their Muggle best, and Fred and George. Fred was wearing a brand-new jacket in some lurid green, scaly material.

"George!" Emma gasped, leaping into his arms with a bright smile on his face.

"Hey sweetheart" he whispered in her hear and she giggled.

"Ron, Ginny!" called Mrs Weasley, hurrying forwards and hugging her children tightly. "Oh, and Harry dear- how are you?"

"Fine" lied Harry, as she pulled him into a tight embrace. Over her shoulder he saw Ron goggling at Fred's new jacket.

"What is _that_ supposed to be?" he asked, pointing at the jacket.

"Finest dragonskin, little bro" said Ron, giving his zip a little tweak. "Business is booming and I thought I'd treat myself."

"Hello, Harry" said Lupin, as Mrs Weasley let go of Harry and turned to greet Hermione.

"Hi" said Harry. "We didn't expect... what are you all doing here?"

"We thought it might be a good idea to have a little chat with our aunt and uncle before letting them take you home" Emma said with a slight smile over George's shoulder.

"I dunno if that's a good idea" said Harry at once.

"Oh, I think it is" growled Moody, who had lumped a little closer. "That will be them, will it, Potter?"

He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder; his magical eye was evidently peering through the back if her head and his bowler hat. Harry leaned an inch or so to the left to see where Mad-Eye was pointing and there, sure enough, were the three Dursleys, who looked positively appalled to see Harry's reception committee.

"Ah, Harry" said Mr Weasley, turning from Hermione's parents. "Well- shall we do it, then?"

"Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur" said Moody.

He, Mr Weasley and Emma took the lead across the station towards the Dursleys, who were apparently rooted to the floor.

"Good afternoon" said Mr Weasley pleasantly to Uncle Vernon as he came to a halt right in front of him. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley. We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry."

Uncle Vernon's moustache seemed to bristle with indignation. Possibly because the bowler hat gave him the entirely mistaken impression that he was dealing with a kindred spirit, he addressed himself to Emma. Maybe because she seemed less threatening than anyone else around him. Big mistake.

"I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house..."

"I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Uncle. Like the fact that I'm Harry's sister" Emma said calmly, taking a step forwards.

Dursleys faces held similar expressions of shock.

"Anyway, that's not the point" interjected Tonks quickly, who's pink seemed to offend Aunt Petunia more than all the rest put together, for she closed her eyes rather than look at her. "The point is, if we find out you've been horrible to Harry..."

"...And make no mistake, we'll hear about it" added Lupin pleasantly.

"Yes" said Mr Weasley "even if you won't let Harry use the telephone..."

"...Yeah, if we get any hint that Harry's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to" said Emma, drawing herself up to her full height; which, I might add, wasn't very tall.

Uncle Vernon swelled ominously. His sense of outrage seemed to outweigh even his fear of this bunch of oddballs.

"Are you threatening me, girl?" he said, so loudly that passers-by actually turn to stare.

"Yes, I am" said Emma, still just as calmly.

"And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?" barked Uncle Vernon.

"Well..." said Emma, baring her teeth at him to reveal her now growing fangs. Uncle Vernon leapt backwards in horror and collided painfully with a luggage trolley. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Vernon."

She turned away from Uncle Vernon to survey Harry.

"So, Harry... give us a shout if you need us. If one of us doesn't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along..."

Aunt Petunia whimpered piteously. It could not have been plainer that she was thinking of what the neighbours would say if they caught sight of these people marching up the garden path.

"Bye, hen, Potter" said Moody, grasping Harry's shoulder for a moment with a gnarled hand.

"Harry, we'll have you away from there as soon as we can" Mrs Weasley whispered, hugging him again.

"We'll see you soon, mate" said Ron anxiously, shaking Harry's hand.

"Really soon, Harry" said Hermione earnestly. "We promise."

"Yeah" Emma said with a wink and reaching up on her tip-toes and kissing him on the cheek. "And if I can't get you out of there, I'll blast down the door and drag you out there myself."

Harry nodded. He somehow could not find words to tell them what it meant to him, to see them all ranged there, on his side. Instead, he smiled, raised a hand in farewell, turned around and led the way out of the station towards the sunlit street, with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley hurrying along in his wake.

Emma smiled as she watched his brother go. He didn't understand, and probably never will, how much it meant to her that he accepted her for who she was and what she was. That he didn't hate her for not telling him everything before; and for him being there for her- even if he didn't know it- when Sirius died. And it still hurt to think about him. But, like Hagrid said, they would feet better eventually.


	27. AN

**AN:**

**Oh my gosh, I can't believe I've finished this book! I hope you've enjoyed reading this story as much as I've had writing it.**

**The next one will be called 'Another Sunrise'. The story will probably be up in about two days, three days tops. I recommend you put me on Author Alert so you know when the new story is up.**

**Thank you to all those people who have put my story on their favourite stories list! Also, thank you to:**

**Jim Red Hawk**

**Sololight**

**Taeniaea**

**Kairi Granger**

**Written Sparks**

**Nitrea**

**For reviewing my stories and for all those who have stuck with 'A Mightnight's Dream' all the way.**

**If you want to know where I got the Harry Potter spells from go to:**

**http : / www**** dot scribd dot com /doc /24095892 /Harry-Potter- Book- of- Spells**

**You can also get a list of Harry Potter sweets at:**

**http : / www dot hp- lexicon dot org /wizworld /candy dot html # candy**

**WARNING: There are spaces where there aren't suppose to be**

**Thank you again**

**From**

**~Poisen~Ivey~**


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